


Twenty Questions Cross-Examination

by beeprimo



Category: The Big Bang Theory (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Post-Canon, Romance, Winter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-11
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-14 20:13:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 27,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29176980
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beeprimo/pseuds/beeprimo
Summary: Twenty questions, four days. A whirlwind of events has brought Sheldon and Amy to a remote cabin at the foot of the Swiss Alps. Without any communication to the outside world, they must find ways to keep each other entertained, as well as retain their sanity. What lies ahead reveals the truth about the issues Sheldon and Amy overcome throughout their relationship.
Relationships: Sheldon Cooper/Amy Farrah Fowler
Kudos: 8





	1. Chapter 1

The white, mountainous scenery stretched its jagged peaks beyond their periphery. Amy couldn't believe the landscape that greeted their stay. They had passed by valleys and saw the Alps from above as they were flying to Switzerland. But it couldn't defeat the raw and utterly majestic peaks of the Valais Alps, displaying themselves in front of their very eyes. It was just like she imagined when they were planning this trip.

Once they had absorbed the reality of winning a Nobel, Sheldon had planned on visiting the Large Hadron Collider, and Amy thought of seeing the Northern Lights in Sweden for her birthday. But one had to win because Sweden, and the rest of the countries above the arctic circle, rarely get Northern Lights in the dead of December and January.

Months later, they're socializing with distinguished researchers from all around the world, wearing their Nobel medals around their necks and a wide grin on their faces. It was such a fun night, Amy thought. Even Sheldon let loose for a while, having a glass for himself, and finally meeting people, other than his friends, who speak his jargon.

For some reason, when they flew to Switzerland, they were invited to speak and gave interviews to some institutions and universities. News flew too fast when in Europe. They were even given a private tour at CERN, both of them, at long last, witnessed the Hadron Collider at work, which was usually off-limits to civilians.

Even with the accolades and all the conversations about themselves and their work, which Sheldon definitely loved blabbing about, feeding his ego, there was a tipping point in there. Sheldon confided to Amy about something that's been pestering him since they got the Nobel.

"I'm tired of this, Amy," he confessed as they sat down for a room service dinner at their hotel at almost 9 in the evening. Apparently, the Nobel talk had rendered the man exhausted.

But Amy wasn't surprised to hear that. She was tired, too. That was why she badly wanted to travel to northern Sweden and see the Northern Lights. That was why she agreed to visit the Super Collider because they'll be near vacation spots in Central Europe. That was why she had produced backup plans in case things don't go according to plan.

In a chalet southeast of Geneva near the French border, they found themselves on some sort of a couple's retreat. The usual couple's retreat is mainly associated with solving marital or relationship problems. But this was sort of a power-down-and-recharge time for both of them before coming back to California.

The only rule for their retreat was they weren't allowed to contact other people, through any electronic means, for 4 days. Phones were only allowed to take photos and for emergencies, and they turned off the chalet's WiFi. Other than that, they can think of ways, _the oh so many ways_ , to keep each other occupied.

She glanced at her husband. Sheldon displayed a very stoic expression on his face as he looked at the pale mountain range. But Amy knew he was astounded; his eyes were twinkling and his lip was skewing to one side. Amy walked to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, nestling her cold face on his warm neck.

The icy wind from the mountains blew through them, leaving their skin crimson, penetrating through their winter gear. Amy tightened her hold on Sheldon, and he did the same. They were quiet for a long time, just perched on the balcony. Things couldn't be better. A Nobel, new acquaintances, familiar places, drop-dead gorgeous husband. Amy closed her eyes and savored all that.

After returning inside the chalet, they tried the food their host provided, rested for a while, read a book, and snapped some photos of the Alps through the balcony.

The hours of silence were met with acceptance. Deeply engrossed in her book, Amy looked up from her pages and gazed to see that her husband was missing. She looked around and was relieved when she saw him on the balcony, his back against her, looking far ahead.

She closed the book softly, putting it on the table. This was the only time in December that Sheldon was quiet. He couldn't stop talking about the Nobel. He couldn't stop ranting about Penny's pregnancy. He couldn't stop blabbering to fellow physicists. And Amy found the silence amusing.

Sheldon's almost a different person when they're alone together.

He's definitely not like this in the past. Sheldon treated her like his friend, a person who's likely to hear the unfiltered thoughts of his mind. A person who receives all the ramblings and rants of Sheldon Cooper.

But ever since things between them became more serious and serious, Sheldon had found peace when he's with her. He doesn't need to prove anything, impress Amy with his highfalutin words. And besides, Amy likes the quiet. She always does.

The unspoken words that were relayed through a look, a touch, maybe the curl of the lip. Amy can read it all, and Sheldon allowed her to.

"Penny for your thoughts?" asked Amy as she stood beside him, leaning over the balcony railings.

Sheldon sprawled his hand to her, palms up as though he was asking for something.

Amy looked at him incredulously before laughing. Sheldon laughed too and returned his hand to his pocket. The guy's humor was unexpected but definitely welcomed, Amy thought in amusement.

"I'm getting bored," he confided, flashing an apologetic smile. "But the mountains are graciously offering their company."

"I have something that would keep us entertained for a while." She had a wide grin on her face that made Sheldon think of other things.

He jerked his head lightly and started blinking his eyes. Was he prepared to exert more effort after trekking in ankle-deep snow just to reach their cabin?

"Sheldon, not that!" Amy was quick to pick up on Sheldon's reaction. "Aren't you exhausted from trudging our way in here?" She was too, and the thing that Sheldon initially thought of was the last thing on her mind.

"I am." He then slumped his shoulders and crossed his arms on his chest. Sheldon's face exudes exhaustion. "So what do you have in mind?"

"20 questions." Amy smiled in excitement as she pulled out a folded piece of paper from her coat pocket.

"Oh, that game," he responded with a glint in his eyes, his cheek nestled on his palm. "Rules?"

"Both of us take turns answering 20 questions. We can elaborate or not, it's up to you if you're feeling a little chatty." Amy shrugged. She's feeling quite chatty, hence the chosen activity.

Sheldon nodded his head and extended his hand to Amy. They returned inside and sat from across each other on the dining table.

Amy unfolded the paper from her pocket. She was chuckling at herself for suggesting this. She wrote down all the questions a day before, and now, maybe Sheldon's looking at her as though she planned everything just to ask these questions.

"Okay, let's start with an easy one. Question 1: _On a regular day, what do you find yourself thinking about the most?"_

She glanced up at Sheldon, grinning as they both knew what the other was about to say.

"Physics," Sheldon answered.

"Neuroscience," Amy said, only a split second after he said his.

But Sheldon quickly added to his answer. "And I also think about you," he said resolutely. "Well, my day wouldn't be complete if I weren't thinking of you, would it? Has Amy arrived at her lab safely? Did she cut her finger while dissecting brains? Oh, God, I hope she didn't! Is she coming to fetch me for lunch? Should I fetch her for lunch? Is she still busy? Maybe I can visit her already. She wouldn't shoo me away, right?"

All the while, Amy was listening intently, grinning like a fool. "That's a lot of thinking."

Sheldon threw her an 'Amy-you-know-me-better' look as he leaned in. "Of course, my brain just doesn't shut off."

Amy reddened at the interaction. She drew her arms closer to her chest, raised her chin, and announced with a hint of haughtiness. "I also think about you . . . so we're even."

"Question 2: _What things do you look forward to each day? In your life?_ "

Amy took her turn. "On a daily basis, breakfast and your _smile_."

"My smile?" On cue, the corners of his lips stretched to his cheek. It was an involuntary response that only Amy could trigger.

"That!" She pointed out, delighted to see Sheldon so uninhibited. But Sheldon dropped the smile into a tight-lipped expression. He was clearly trying not to, which made it even adorable.

"You seem to have established this habit when we wake up: I open my eyes and there you are, smiling with your eyes closed. I find that very, very charming," Amy cooed, Sheldon nodding his head as though he wasn't thrilled. "For my life: working on more research, and if we get lucky, maybe start a family."

Sheldon tapped his finger gingerly. "W-When do you plan on having a family?"

"Preferably in a year or two," Amy answered, certain. "That, of course, is my prediction. But you need two people to conceive, right?"

Sheldon raised his eyebrows and pursed his lips. "Maybe I am not unready as of this moment," he said slowly, almost teasingly.

A timid smile formed on her lips. "It'll come, Sheldon. We just have to wait."

Sheldon conjured the future. Little human beings walking about at their home like they own the place. The thought wasn't unpleasant but thinking about it made it more perplexing. He can only compare it to the feeling of coming back from a daydream, and you don't know where you are and what you were doing, almost like losing your bearings.

_What if . . ._

Coming back to his senses, Sheldon shook his head to see Amy waiting for him. "Oh, right my turn." He scratched his cheek. "I look forward to entering my office and unraveling the mysteries of the universe. Not before anticipating the short amount of time we have together before we go to work," he revealed.

Amy never knew how much Sheldon enjoyed the time they spent in the morning. From waiting for the other to finish in the bathroom. From pondering if he should jump in or invite Amy to take a shower. From preparing and eating breakfast. All amounting to intimate, domestic synergy brewing in their tiny apartment.

Sheldon continued his answer. "You, of all people, should know that ever since we have lived together, my supposed departure from home to Caltech should be 8:15 a.m. on the dot. However, when you moved in, we often leave the apartment at 8:30 a.m."

"Huh, I didn't notice that," she replied, dumbfounded.

Sheldon never once nagged her to hurry up. ' _Amy, come one, we're gonna be late for work_!' didn't cross his lips. Although, one time, Amy had to nag him because they both slept in for a whopping 20 minutes, but there wasn't a time Sheldon did the same.

"Always has been. I just thought spending a few minutes with you at home, not to mention the minutes we spend going to work, would make your day," he answered sincerely.

Amy can't stop grinning like an idiot. All the things Sheldon Cooper did to and for her. Sometimes, it feels like she and Sheldon are new couples, inciting butterflies in each other's stomachs, when in fact, they shared a good chunk of a decade being together.

"I'm glad I wasn't wrong. It did make me happy, too," Sheldon admitted. He blushed but covered his face with his palms.

A few seconds into her trance, Amy felt the embarrassment crept up when she realized that Sheldon was observing her intently. "Oh, my bad. Err . . . Question 3: _If you could write a song about your life, what type of music would you use?_ "

"You know how much I love classical music; I'll probably choose that genre. And maybe another song in bossa nova or jazz," Amy answered. _I hope Sheldon didn't think too much of my reaction._ "It doesn't need to have lyrics."

Sheldon hesitated. "Uh . . . I don't listen to songs, Amy."

Amy cocked her head at Sheldon's thinly-veiled lie. "Really?"

She started to list all the times she'd heard or caught Sheldon humming, quietly singing, or mouthing the words to a song. "You love Taylor Swift—"

"That was a phase, and I prefer her old music. Back when she was still a budding artist," he interrupted, a hint of guilt brushed his voice.

"You watched La La Land with me for 5 times now, and I knew that you memorized the songs right after finishing it once—"

"That is not true. I memorized the songs _after_ the 2nd time," Sheldon explained contritely, even though his defense contradicts Amy's accusations that he memorized the songs.

"And, need I remind you, how much you loved bobbing your head while we were watching Mamma Mia 1 and 2—"

"ABBA was one of the groups my family loved listening to when I was growing up. Hearing their songs from those movies has brought fond memories of Sunday Barbeque in the middle of summer." His voice raised as his lips were pressed against together.

He was holding in a laugh because every accusation Amy made was true, and he couldn't believe that he's still defending himself.

"But you still love listening to their music," Amy pointed out, unmoved by his adorable taunt. _Yes, Sheldon, we share a Spotify Premium Plan!_

"That I cannot deny," Sheldon revealed, still being nonchalant about it. "But that doesn't mean that I voluntarily listened to them." He finally found an escape from his horribly executed defense.

"So, you don't have a genre?" Amy asked again.

Sheldon shook his head genuinely undeterred.

It's one of the quirks that Amy loved most. Despite his best to amaze and entice Amy by embracing everything she does, his personality subdues his effort in making himself look good in her eyes.

There is an established boundary between both of them that shows how independent the other is. Of course, Amy would like for them to always agree on things, but where's the wonder of being with Sheldon if that happens every single time?

Finally, Amy let Sheldon off the hook and proceeded with the next question. "Alrighty then," she harrumphed. "Question 4: _What things in your life bring you the greatest pleasure?_ "

Sheldon raised his hand for a pause. "Before I answer that, I need a clarification as to what kind of pleasure we are talking about."

Amy shrugged. "Just pleasure in general."

Sheldon answered confidently. "Adhering to my routines."

Amy gazed at him in confusion."But you never knock 3 times now." She didn't make that a big deal but come to think of it, it sounded like a really big deal.

"Because I don't have a use to it. You always knock ahead when we're going to Leonard's," Sheldon clarified, providing a reasonable excuse for deserting one of his most notorious routines that either baffled or irritated people.

"But you still do when I'm not there, right?" She raised her eyebrows, waiting for him to say yes.

"Oh, no, not really no. I just got accustomed to the way you knock that I somehow emulated that," he said, all the while overlooking Amy's puzzled expression. "How about you. What gives you pleasure?"

Amy had to blink her eyes a few times. She was floored by Sheldon's admission. Did anyone know about this? Was this on purpose that Sheldon dropped his habit? What were the circumstances that led him to decide that knocking 3 times wasn't as important as it did before?

Amused from the beginning, Amy decided not to dig deeper about the matter. Sheldon has his quirks and, if dropping one of his routines is his new quirk, well, he can go do whatever he wants.

Sheldon wanted Amy to ask more about why he's not doing his knock anymore, it was better off to be left unturned. Maybe he can demonstrate it to Amy once the need for knocking arises, then it will be more believable for her.

Amy moved on from his answer and shared hers. "There's nothing more pleasurable than cutting into a brain and everything you expected is there." Just thinking about it made her shudder a little bit. A glioblastoma?! Oh, boy, Mommy's about to have a great day!

Sheldon grinned at her answer. "Honestly, that gives me pleasure, too."

"Question 5: _If you could change only one thing in your life, what would that be and why_?"

Amy folded back the paper in half and laid her palms on top of it. "If I could change one thing, it would be having siblings. Or you know what, one sibling's enough."

"We really do have the same thinking." Sheldon reached over and patted Amy's hand, proud that they're definitely two peas in a pod.

Amy's smile brightened, she leaned over in excitement. "What's yours?" She thought maybe Sheldon wanted at least another sibling. Or maybe he guessed her exact answer.

"I didn't want to have a twin," he announced as though it was something to be proud of.

Amy's jaw slacked and softly berated. "That's outright mean, Sheldon." She wished that it was just a joke. Poor Missy.

Sheldon sighed at the misunderstanding. He inhaled a good amount of air before explaining.

"Hear me out. I don't want a twin, and I hope if we ever had children, they wouldn't be twins. Why? Missy and I were pitted against each other." He choked but quickly redeemed himself. " _Why can't be as smart as your brother? Why can't you socialize like your sister? Why are you not in the same grade? You should act more like your age,"_ he said spitefully. The way he mocked those sentences he'd heard in the past, Amy knew how much they impacted him.

He added, "Those were the reasons why I despised her, and my brother too, growing up. But I love my sister, and I didn't want her to experience that because of me. And I certainly didn't want to be treated that way because of her."

Amy caressed the tops of his hands. It was cold, but soon enough, they warmed as she held them tightly.

"Our generation is different from when we were growing up. I'm confident that we won't be that kind of people," she assured.

Amy had a feeling that if she wasn't there to listen to his woe, the guilt and hatred would poison him eventually. She smiled to let her message across.

"I hope so, too," Sheldon said rather enthusiastically.

Upon remembering that Amy wasn't able to explain her answer, Sheldon widened his eyes and asked, "I'm sorry, what's yours again?"

"Having siblings."

"Oh, right. Why?"

"I really cannot guarantee a perfect relationship with a sibling. But growing up with one might help with the isolation. I just wanted to have a friend back then," she admitted sadly.

However hard Amy tried, tears started pooling in her eyes. She wasn't crying. The familiar feeling of loneliness just swooped in through her. Then suddenly disappeared into the abyss. Which stimulated her tear duct. Yes, that's right, her tear ducts were just stimulated.

She used the back of her index finger and wiped the liquid out of her eyes. She sniffed, gazed back at her worried husband, and waited.

"Well, I'm your friend," he said softly. Sheldon's lips curled into a smile. "And you do have a lot of them now."

Amy returned his gesture. "But still a close blood relative is also nice."

"You can have George."

He grinned at his seamless attempt to give away one of his siblings. But upon realizing George's affinity to date a different woman every 3 months, he quickly took it back. "Oh, you know what, not him. You can have Missy."

They exchanged giggles. Sheldon displayed a contrite smile, making Amy chuckle some more. For some reason, he stood up from his chair and sat beside Amy, trying to be close to her.

 _Oh, someone's getting jealous,_ she figured, letting out another chuckle.

Amy ignored her husband's possessive spell and continued. "This might be a little similar to our previous question but here goes. Question 6: _What other things would you want to change now, and why_?"

She explained. "It kinda points to something happening now that you want to change rather than what happened or what will happen in the future."

Sheldon wrapped his arm around her shoulders. It took a hard minute before he could spew out an answer. "I wish Penny wasn't pregnant."

Amy jerked her head lightly. She gazed at him incredulously.

"Why not? I thought we talked about this . . . " She was trying to be understanding about this. But it has been 2 weeks since they knew about Penny's pregnancy, and she and Sheldon discussed why it isn't for them to comment on the pregnancy.

"I don't have any resentment about that, Amy. It just felt like their timing was wrong," he said.

"Well, we can't be the judge for that. It's their relationship, Sheldon. Whatever they decide on doing, isn't our business."

Sheldon accepted it for the longest time. But he doesn't know if the initial hesitation was directed at Penny and Leonard, whose time with them will dwindle in the next year, or if he was just jealous that Leonard gets to have a family. He shrugged and ignored the creeping reality. "I know. That's just that nothing more."

"Look on the bright side, we're gonna be godparents!"

 _I hope it goes well,_ Sheldon thought, offering a tight-lipped smile. He gazed at Amy and waited for her to answer. It came to him as a shock that Amy's face contorted in displeasure.

"I wish I could have this vacation extended!" she complained. "That's the one thing I want to change."

"We can rebook our flights," Sheldon suggested nonchalantly. "It's your birthday in 2 days. It seems like we're celebrating for a whole month by being on a different continent. Where do you want to go next?"

Amy sat straighter and held him by the shoulders. "You would do that?"

"You didn't get your aurora borealis. We have to do something! If you'd like we can extend our vacation until after Christmas."

Along with the Nobel medal, Sheldon was sure he'd be getting the award for the best husband in the world from the way Amy lit up in excitement. She started moving her eyes around, pondering on Sheldon's proposal.

"Maybe we can just focus our time here in Switzerland, and probably cross borders for a day tour — France, Germany, Liechtenstein, Italy."

"Sounds like a plan." He nodded his head, poking Amy on the arm like he always does. "Lucky we got to solve one of the things you want to change."

"I couldn't wish for a better husband." She pecked his cheeks and squished them softly.

"We never had a proper vacation ever since we got together, and our honeymoon was an obligatory vacation. I think we deserve this, Amy."


	2. Chapter 2

Amy returned to her chair after making a cup of tea. "Question 7: _What would be your ideal romantic dat_ e?" she asked once settled beside Sheldon.

Sheldon held his chin and pondered on the question. "A romantic date for you or for me?"

"For you. Something that you consider romantic. Not what you think I find romantic," Amy elucidated.

"Anything," he shrugged. But upon seeing Amy's anticipating face, he thought of a specific activity. "Maybe reading a book together. I consider that romantic."

"Alright. I find that romantic, too," Amy replied, blushing at the memories of them cuddled up together as they read their books. Although, there are other things that she also finds romantic. "You know what I consider a romantic date?"

"What?"

"Anywhere we go for our date night, I find that romantic," she revealed.

Sheldon pursed his lips while thinking. "If we go to a sketchy part of town and dine in a small family restaurant, would that still be romantic?"

"Definitely," she replied without forethought. "Although, I doubt that you would bring me to a sketchy part of town. We barely try different restaurants other than our usual."

"Absolutely not! The sketchy part of town was just a proposed scenario. I would never bring you there," he defended. "But answer this, Amy: would you like to try other restaurants for our date night?" He looked at her with his eyebrows raised.

Amy nodded her head eagerly. "I'm always open for date night options. It's an opportunity for us to broaden our cultural exposure."

In the span of their relationship, they only have 6 _Sheldon-approved_ date night restaurants on their roster. That would only last for a month and a half before they repeat the process. Hearing that Sheldon had initiated the question about the restaurants, brought a smile to Amy's face. She was proud of him, really.

She then added, "Seriously, though, anything or anywhere I go with you, that's romantic. This cabin is romantic. The restaurants we had visited numerous times that we've tried every single food entry, those are romantic. It's more of the person I'm with rather than the place I'm at."

"I get what you're saying now." Sheldon bobbed his head, still gaping at her. "I bring the ' _romance'_ wherever we go."

"Exactly!" Amy chuckled. Thank God this silly and romantic side to Sheldon doesn't come out frequently. If it did, Amy was certain he would change drastically, and Sheldon wouldn't be the person she loved from the beginning.

"Question 8: _In what setting are you the happiest, calm, and most comfortable_?"

Sheldon cupped his cheek with his palm and put his elbow on the table. "I'd say 5:30 on a Saturday morning as I lay in bed with no other auditory disturbances other than our leveled breathing and the sound of the clock ticking," he answered in extreme detail, not really unusual for Sheldon.

"That sounds like my cup of tea," she murmured.

He clapped his hands and added, "Ooh, on the mention of tea, a nice hot cup will definitely up my mood."

Amy just gazed at him in awe. Oh, how their minds just work together. "Whenever I'm in bed, too. I am calm and comfortable when I'm laying down, maybe meditating too. And happy, or something very related to that, when we're intimate."

"And what feelings would be related to happiness?" Sheldon leaned in, curious.

"Contentment, arousal, gratefulness—you know, the likes," she listed with a shrug.

" _Arousal_ . . ." he said, not a question but something he thought Amy might explain.

"Sexual, mental, emotional. You really want me to elaborate further?" Amy raised her eyebrow. She was challenging him, and Sheldon ought to clap back.

Sheldon let out a brief laugh. "I think your answer is sufficed enough for me to draw a mental picture."

Amy cocked her head quickly as though she won the game.

"Question 9: _What do you feel is your greatest accomplishment in your life? Did other people help to make that happen_?"

Amy hissed in excitement as she thought of what happened recently, specifically why they traveled to Europe in the first place.

"I can't think of anything other than our Nobel. You helped us achieve that. A lot of people did, but you, Sheldon, are the most important person that made it happen," she said honestly.

She had never thanked or been this grateful for someone before. The Nobel was just a formality, she mostly enjoyed the time they spent working together.

Amy was expecting a kiss, or maybe a hug, either way works. But instead, Sheldon threw her a quizzical look. Amy threw it back at him. _Isn't that a sweet thing to say_ , she mused in confusion.

Besides the Nobel, which Sheldon was very grateful for sharing with Amy, there is a particular achievement that he knew was the greatest of them all.

"On the contrary, although I consider our Nobel as an achievement of genuine weight, it's not the greatest achievement of my life, no." He shook his head softly.

Dejected, Amy responded, "Why not?"

Sheldon shifted upon his seat and faced her fully. He was excited to disclose this matter to Amy and was sure she'd get it right away.

"I'd like to think it this way: our Nobel wouldn't have happened without one thing," he said, expecting Amy to provide the next phrase.

"Our super asymmetry theory?" Amy answered, still bewildered. Of all people, Sheldon is the one who would talk your ears off about how proud he was of their Nobel.

"But our super asymmetry theory wouldn't be here if not for one thing." He moved his hands like he was carrying a small box to the other side.

Confused, irritated, and already losing interest, Amy huffed and rode along. "I have no clue."

Sheldon grinned as he would after proving himself correct. "Well, none of those would have happened if we didn't marry each other. Our theory was crafted and birthed a few minutes prior to our wedding ceremony. Ergo, the greatest achievement of my life was marrying you, and everything that happened after our proposal only happened because you let it."

Amy's hands trembled upon hearing Sheldon's answer. She knew how much their marriage meant to him, but what she didn't know was how much Sheldon values their relationship more than their Nobel.

 _More than Nobel!_ Sheldon definitely knows how to make a woman feel special.

"I told this to you in the morning after we won the Nobel. Not in the very words of 'greatest achievement' but it went along the lines of: _'Winning the Nobel is only the second best thing that happened to us, marrying you is the first'_."

"I was awake at that time," murmured Amy. On where this sappiness came from, that was a mystery.

It was real, alright. She thought that it was just a hallucination from her alcohol-induced sleep the night after the Nobel.

After drinking a little too much at the banquet—which Penny agreed upon—it would not be a surprise she started imagining things.

One of which was seeing a half-naked Sheldon, sitting on her abdomen as he kneaded a bread dough on her equally bare chest and whispered seductively, _"Have you pre-heated the oven_?" It was utterly weird, very, very weird yet arousing.

That was why she thought Sheldon's early morning confession about their marriage was just one of her intoxicated imaginations.

Sheldon cupped her cheek and let their lips collide in a soft, genuine kiss. Without missing a beat, his tongue darted across her lip, asking for entrance. It always slips Sheldon's mind how much he loves Amy. There was his subconscious that knew about it, but when the feeling of love arises, it always feels different every single time.

The chalet being a one-room house, their feet had a mind of their own, directing them to the bed seamlessly. They fell on the bed, wrapped in each other's arms.

As Sheldon always described, it took them hours. But this time, taking them a few hours wasn't an anomaly at all.

* * *

Hours passed and the sky had turned pitch black. By the time their clothes were off, the sun was already setting on the horizon, and it was no wonder that they were greeted with nothing but the starless sky.

Sheldon rose from the bed and groaned as the blanket fell over his naked body and a cool whiff of air assaulted his skin. He wore his robe and walked the short distance into the bathroom. All he could think about was the first 9 questions that they covered that day.

He didn't know that there were bits of their life that he wasn't aware of. And Amy must have been equally astounded to have discovered some facts from his life.

It would have been perfect to just finish all 20 questions in one sitting. Sheldon couldn't point a finger as to why he suddenly needed the urge to kiss Amy, which led to them racing for the bed, which led to them, well, _making love_.

Was it the sexual tension building up from previous questions? Was it the honesty and gratitude from their answers that evoked the sudden feeling? Was it maybe the fact that they knew each other very well than they knew themselves?

Amy heard what he said the morning after Nobel. She heard how important their marriage was. The thought of it brought chills down his bare spine. Sheldon felt the responsibility that Amy needed to experience it. Not just hear it twice from him. She needed to know and experience how much influence their marriage brings into their relationship.

He turned off the shower and went on to dry himself. After slipping on his robe, he walked out into the main room to see Amy slowly waking up from her nap. She opened her eyes and smiled at him. Sheldon smiled back even though he knew that Amy was only seeing a blurred image of him.

He walked the distance to their bed, edged his face in front of her, and kissed her deeply. The only thing that interrupted their kiss was the simultaneous grumbling of their stomachs.

After much deliberation, Sheldon just heated the potato and leek stew their host kindly left them. It would be ideal to cook, but the exhaustion of the day hit them very hard.

"Shall we continue?" Amy asked as she slurped the last remnants of her stew.

"By all means," Sheldon replied, putting out a finger to halt.

Sheldon grabbed their empty bowls and washed them. He returned to the table with a bottle of fruit brandy and 2 glasses with ice in it. It was unconventional for them to drink, not especially when the drink is hard liquor, but upon disembarking in the nearest town, they bought provisions for 3 days and were tempted to taste the region's sought-after products.

"Question 10: _Who is the one person you want to meet, dead or alive_?" Amy read out from the piece of paper.

Sheldon poured themselves half a glass, all the while thinking of his ultimate answer.

It was pretty obvious, but he waited for the brandy to swirl in his tongue, which gave off a sweet and smooth flavor of peaches, and slide down their throats before he answered, "Einstein is one of my personal heroes. I would like to spend time with him."

Amy closed her eyes as she got a whiff of what they were drinking. "What would you talk about?"

"Everything related to his work," he proudly said. "Maybe I can ask him about what he thinks about our research." Sheldon's ears reddened from excitement and the effect of the brandy.

Nodding her head, Amy agreed and said, "That would be an enlightening experience, I could tell."

"How about you? Who's the exceptional mind you want to meet?"

Santiago Ramón y Cajal? Geoffrey Chaucer? Laura Ingalls Wilder? May-Britt Moser (although they already met Dr. Moser at the Nobel ceremony, so it seemed unnecessary)? Madam Curie?

The list goes on and on, Sheldon thought his vision was spinning. That may be from the brandy, though.

Amy paused and looked at him excitedly. "Your _father_."

"My father?" Sheldon scoffed as he poured them another glass. Was that a joke? He gazed at Amy, who seemed to be very genuine about her answer, and shook his head at the silliness. "That's not a very exceptional mind."

Amy just shrugged. "I would like to pick his brain about your upbringing."

"There was barely any contribution to my upbringing. Not an iota. Why bother anyway?" he answered sternly. His stiff manner didn't go past Amy yet she still tried to pursue the topic.

"Maybe he did do it in his little ways," she suggested.

"Yeah, like intentionally making me watch him _fuck_ that bimbo on his and Mom's matrimonial bed. Their matrimonial bed! The audacity!" Sheldon stood up and stomped to the sink to get himself a glass of water.

Amy was taken aback by hearing the story again. But what's startling was Sheldon cussing. He rarely cusses. Sheldon prided himself as a _good-mouthed_ man. And hearing a vicious word come out of his mouth alerted her.

"But you said it was an accident." Amy's voice dropped to a minimum. She's walking on eggshells, and she knows it.

Her faltering thoughts questioned her decision. Sheldon's eyes were blackened as they pierced through her. She just wanted to know why, clarify some events that were too perplexing to her mind.

"He did that on purpose. He waited for me to see that," he said as he clenched his jaw. Sheldon didn't know why he was acting that way. He could blame the brandy but he knew that wasn't it.

"Did he tell your mother about it?" Amy asked. She couldn't point a finger as to why Sheldon suddenly became somewhat hostile.

He's possibly drunk, but drunk Sheldon is always never Mr. Hyde. He's the Nutty Professor, always uninhabited, carefree, talkative drunk that incites laughter to anyone because of his crazy antics. What he was exhibiting crept her out, even to the point of frightening her.

"Their marriage was held by a thin thread, there's no reason to tell it. He died a year after that anyway." His voice was filled with disgust and hatred. But Amy can hear a trace of sadness percolating from those thick and heavy emotions.

Amy sighed heavily. "I'm trying to approach this as carefully as I can. I'm sorry, Sheldon, but maybe the man that you saw and disgusted you at that very moment wasn't the man that nurtured you throughout the remaining years of his life," she explained, again attempting to be cautious of her words.

"There was no nurturing that happened. Mom and Meemaw did everything," he held his stance, his back against Amy as he glugged a glass of water.

"Wasn't he the one who drove you and your brother to Cape Canaveral for the shuttle's launch?" Amy asked, genuinely confused.

"We never reached Cape Canaveral. We hardly even made it to Alabama," he replied bitingly.

"But it was a hurricane brewing and your plans were foiled. He made the decision to drive you there, in the first place," Amy clarified, remembering Georgie's story when he flew to California for their wedding.

Sheldon rubbed his eyebrows, apparently irritated with what was happening. He returned to his seat and demanded in defeat. "Can we proceed to the next question?"

Amy clicked her tongue for a while and nodded. "Question 11: _What do you most wish you'd learned—_ "

"I don't know why you are siding with him. It was as though you knew the guy for years." His mocking voice was manifesting that Amy started to get irritated by it.

First, he cuts her off. Now, he mocks her? As much as she tried to understand his behavior, it's hard not to be provoked by his words. She doesn't know everything, and neither did she act like she does, but did she really deserve an acrimonious and spiteful treatment?

"That's why I wanted to meet him," Amy's voice was starting to rise as darkness enveloped their cabin.

"Yeah, yeah, right," he scoffed once again. "And what are you going to talk about? _'Look at Sheldon, he's such a wuss. Look at him shit his pants after seeing his brother dressed as the guy from Halloween!_ ' For your information, Dad, his name is Michael Myers!"

Sheldon pounded and pounded on the table at every word of his last sentence. The madman, psycho Michael Myers would be proud of his display of rage.

His nose flared up. His eyes were red and watery. His breathing rugged at every inhale and abrupt at every exhale. His hands were trembling, just hovering above the table because too much sensation on his senses might cause him to burst.

Her whole body tensed up. From a small slit of the balcony door, a cool wind entered and wrapped the room. The fire on the hearth flickered and sparked erratically.

"Sheldon," Amy promptly cleared her head and tuned in to her rational side.

"Do you really think I would tolerate that kind of ridicule, especially from a father to his own son? I'm married to you, for God's sakes. I'm genuinely curious about your father! I don't know if what you're saying is true, or if it is just an assumption based on your father's questionable behavior. But that's why I want to meet him. Ask him why he did or did not say those things. As a scientist, I can't go off from one account. There's always a negative light shown towards him, and I don't know if that's true to anyone. Maybe he's genuinely concerned about you. Maybe he wanted to be involved in your life but he didn't know how to. Maybe he was doing these little things that you barely notice just so he can support you. Maybe it was just too late for him," she said in a single breath.

Her chest heaved and her nose flared. Her grasp on the corners of the table was enough to make her fingers cramp. And she was feeling exhausted all of a sudden.

Alcohol and melancholy don't go together very well. However hard she tried to be gentle and, essentially, coddle her husband, seeking the truth haunted her. The truth doesn't always mean that she wants to know every nitty-gritty fact, all she wants to know is why this behavior happened all of a sudden.

After giving all her effort into the piece, she was expecting Sheldon to do the same. Instead, he slid his forehead forward with his palms supporting the side of his head. He then ruffled his hair slowly, making a piercing _swish_ inside the cabin.

He raised his head with a sigh and said, "Next question."

Amy hesitated for a while after rereading the next question. Oh, how convenient that it was very related to the previous one. Maybe Sheldon would lash out again. Maybe this is too much for both of them. Maybe they're just drunk, even if they only had 2 half glasses each. She held back, her eyes glancing back and forth on the next question.

"Amy, next question."

Amy jolted at his firm voice. She downed the remaining alcohol on her glass and grasped the paper with her trembling hands.

She read, "Question 11: _What do you most wish you'd learned from your mother/father?_ "

Sheldon stared at the empty, dark mass outside the glass door. He didn't return Amy's concerned gaze.

Amy's heart skipped a beat when Sheldon stood up immediately. The chair scratching upon the wooden floor was menacing enough that it caused the hair on her neck and arms to go berserk.

He walked the remaining steps to the other side of the table where she sat. Her face contorted into fear and exhaustion. Honestly, she was not in the mood to keep up with a Sheldon Cooper meltdown. With the brandy running its course in her system, and how late at night it was already, there's no way she would argue with him.

But Sheldon's face stated the opposite. He seemed sad, devastated even. His lip was tight, and his forehead dropped down to his eyebrows. His shoulders were slouched, and a certain drag in his step made the impression that he wasn't volatile; just sensitive and hurt.

Sheldon sat beside Amy. She suddenly felt her body pressed on his, arms wrapped around her back. It lingered, bringing Amy back into her senses.

Sheldon pushed back the chair he was sitting at into a soft scratch. He fell on his knees, his embrace tightened, deeper into her soul. Amy shifted her body to better accommodate Sheldon.

"I miss him, Amy," Sheldon said clearly. "I-I really do." He pressed his face onto Amy's neck. "I wish he was here when we got married. I wish he could see how much his Shelly has grown. I wish he could see how thoughtful and lovely you are Amy. _I wish he was here_." The last words were a wisp of air. Sheldon felt relieved to have said those words, after not revealing it elaborately to anyone, not even his family.

Amy let the words marinate. She may have shed a tear upon hearing Sheldon's confession. The words may not be for her, nor bring his father to life, but it pierced her chest. It made Amy examine how she pushed Sheldon into talking about his father. Sheldon was hurt, she can tell. But he wasn't crying. Not a single sniff was made. That made Amy even more guilty.

She ran her hand on his back, whispering, "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have pushed you."

Sheldon chuckled softly. With a single sniff and willpower, he tried to draw in the tears welling in his eyes. "I-I'm sorry, too. But I really mean it when I said I miss my father."

"I'm sure he can see us. He would be so proud of who you've become," she assured, loosening her hold but never pulling them apart. She cupped his cheeks softly. Sheldon is a multi-layered person, rife with everything in between. She knew it's different when these things came from a parent, but she and Sheldon had each other's back now. They made a promise. "I love you and I am very, _very_ proud of you, Sheldon," she whispered.

Sheldon pulled her into a breathtaking hug. Amy knew that he couldn't contain his emotions.

"We're very, very drunk," she said faintly. "Let's go to bed."

Sheldon's thin lips moved and curled into a grin. "I am not, but you are," he joked, even though his eyes and nose with crimson

"We can finish this tomorrow," Amy sighed as she looked at the paper. "We still have 3 more days."

"Yes, we do." Sheldon nodded, grasping Amy's hand as he helped her stand up. "And this bottle of brandy is nearly demolished," he pointed out, wondering where ⅓ of the liquid went.


	3. Chapter 3

"Amy, aren't we going to explore Martigny?" Sheldon asked as they gazed down to the small city west of their cabin. They can barely see it from the thick fog surrounding the valley, but silhouettes of a few buildings marked the place.

"We can do it once we're finished with our stay. That's our route to Geneva, anyway," Amy reiterated.

"Is there a rule that we are not allowed to go out?" he asked. Since yesterday, all they did was stay inside and answer questions, and just hang around the balcony for a short amount of time.

Amy rubbed her hand on his shoulder. "Of course we can. But my intention for this vacation is for us to disconnect from the world for just a few days. The past week has been very overwhelming for both of us."

"I agree," Sheldon huffed. His eyebrows shot up at his ingenious idea. "Maybe we can sled outside." It was in the storage room, and their host thoughtfully led them there where all equipment for snow activities were piled up.

"Ooh, that's a great idea!" Amy agreed before shivering. "But let's just wait for noon, until the sun peaks. It's particularly cold this week. And you know we're not built for the winter, not you at least."

They went to have breakfast by the balcony overlooking the Alps, sipping through hot tea and discussing the matters of the land of the Swiss. After breakfast, Sheldon and Amy read their books for an hour, basking in as the sun rose from the east while the stillness quelled the inside of the cabin.

Sheldon stole glances at Amy. He was 2 pages away from finishing the book, and he was now envisioning what they needed to do next. Upon closing his book, he placed it on the table and observed Amy as she read.

He needed to answer all 20 questions. Partly because of his habit of finishing what was started, but also because they left on the wrong foot last night.

It might be from the brandy but he was sober enough to know that he shouldn't have talked to Amy like that, especially when her intentions were pure. He apologized, he confessed, he gave in, he told her that he missed his father.

Which was true, given how young he was when his father died, and how long it was since the last time he had seen the man in the flesh. His father's presence wasn't intentionally missed, but out of habit, out of routine, Sheldon always expects to see his beer-bellied, clean-shaven father watching a football game perched on their worn-out, tartan couch with a bottle of beer in his hand like Sheldon had used to see coming home from college.

Sheldon sighed and let go of the memory. It'll never bring him back to life, might as well let it slip from his mind.

He went back into observing Amy, delighted to see her almost finished with her book. He tidied up their cabin and pocketed the folded piece of paper mindlessly placed on the table.

Sheldon approached her as soon as she was reading the final page and knelt beside her. Amy looked up at him with a start, but her lips quickly shifted into a smile. She patted his cheek like she always does, raising her eyebrows in anticipation. Sheldon jolted and took that as his cue.

"We can continue with the questions . . ." He slowly pulled out the paper from his back pocket and shook it enticingly.

Amy jerked her head back and smiled. "Is that fine with you?"

"Absolutely." Sheldon rose and walked to the dining table, where his brain told him to go as he answered the questions. He unfolded the paper and handed it to Amy, careful not to peak on the remaining questions. "Let's start with the question we left last night."

"Umm . . . okay, here it is!" She took a pause and glanced at him in concern. "Question 11: _What do you most wish you'd learned from your mother/father_?"

Amy started first, as she wanted to keep things light after what happened last night.

"Oh, I wish I knew more about fixing stuff!" she said with elation. "Dad always did what dads do. You know, plumbing, repairs, the likes. And I am his number 1 and only spectator. If I hadn't discovered that biology book in the library when I was 6, I would probably be an engineer by now," Amy admitted innocently. She expected Sheldon's jaw to drop and his eyes to widen, and boy, did he deliver.

"An engineer?!" he exclaimed, holding onto the corners of the table as he leaned back in his chair.

Amy's guffaws erupted. She was confident that Sheldon would react the way that he did, but seeing him so outright offended at the mention of the profession made it even better. "What?!" she asked nonchalantly.

Sheldon dropped his shocked and stiff features, crossed his arms upon his chest, and leaned on the table. He started shaking his head and feigned disappointment. "Boy, you'd thought you knew a lady before you married her."

"Well, would you marry an engineer?" Amy leaned in with her chin on her palm.

Sheldon retreated, accompanied by a hiss. "Oh, Amy, please don't put me in this predicament."

Amy laughed. "Come on, just answer it."

"I'd marry the person whose name is Amy Farrah Fowler, I'll tell you that." Sheldon shrugged. He could not imagine himself with someone other than Amy. Even if that person shares a few personalities with his wife, it wouldn't be enough to convince him to initiate a relationship.

"Fair enough." She flicked her head from his satisfying answer. "Considering that you knew I wasn't an engineer on our first date."

Amy always thought of circumstances where she'd chosen a different profession. Would Sheldon be receptive to it, or would it be the deciding factor for them to break off the relationship? What if she was a physicist? What if she was a medical doctor? A teacher? A geologist?! Even telling him that she was a neurobiologist had contorted Sheldon's face into hesitation and befuddlement.

"Maybe parallel universe Amy is an engineer and parallel universe Sheldon loves engineers," he pointed out to substantiate Amy's claims.

Amy agreed. It turns out Sheldon really doesn't care about her job in the first place. He's one of those people who initially think differently about a person but doesn't really meddle with their affairs. _'You're a biologist? I'm not very fond of your profession, but you do what you do_.' Amy would like to think that that was going on in Sheldon's head when they first met.

Cupping his cheek with his hand, Sheldon began to think about what he would like to learn from his parents.

"I'd like to cook like my mother. Ain't she the best home cook you've ever met?" Sheldon always prided his mother for being a great cook. Amy coming into his life made him more sentient to what he eats, especially after getting a stern scolding from Amy for eating too much unhealthy, takeout food.

"She is," Amy replied, perplexed as to why Sheldon specifically chose that skill. "But you've got quite her culinary touch."

"Yes, but I'm not as good as her. She likes to eyeball her ingredients, and I don't even know how to do that," he admitted. "But I can make a mean barbeque, Amy. I got the recipe from Meemaw and then Dad also perfected it, and he made me watch while he cooks."

"How come we never tried that recipe?"

Sheldon scoffed. "We can't because we live in an apartment. As much as I would like to use that contraption I used to smoke pork for your frontier birthday dinner, it would be sacrilegious for East Texans if I didn't cook it over fire with hickory wood chips."

Amy raised her eyebrows and suggested, "Oh, maybe we can do it in Howard and Bernadette's backyard."

"Maybe." Sheldon shrugged. "If they'll allow us. But you need to cook it for a very long time to achieve that 'off the bone' consistency. Minimum of 9 hours, but Meemaw found the sweet spot at 12."

Amy contemplated how long it takes for it to cook. She winced and released the thought. They better have a place to do such things, or their landlord might kick them off their apartment.

Amy squealed lightly upon reading the next question. "This one's a little interesting. Question 12: _What is your favorite part of your partner's body_?"

Amy was sure he saw Sheldon redden at the cheeks but he was so good at maintaining his composure now that Amy thought may it was just from the cold.

Sheldon began, "It's difficult to gauge. I love your eyes, the colors are very intricate, and I could just be lost staring at them. I love your lips, they give a sense of ease no one has ever provided. Your brain! Woman, your brain is astounding! If I hadn't known your IQ, I would expect that you're smarter than me."

"We can always be tested again, see if anything changes," Amy remarked jokingly.

"Sure . . ." he agreed hesitantly, much to her delight.

Sheldon reached over the table and clasped Amy's hands. "Your hands." He paused, admiring the sensation. "I love holding them and feeling their warmth against my skin."

"That's all?" Amy asked, resuming with her tease.

She wasn't expecting him to say anything too intimate, even anything too sexual. It isn't typical for Sheldon to talk about their intimate parts outside of their bed, especially sexualizing them. That's why she's sometimes amazed that he talks dirty in bed and unabashed about it.

Sheldon looked at her quizzically, aware of the game they were playing. "Am I supposed to say something . . ."

"I was just asking." Amy shrugged. "Well, I think you're fully aware of my favorite body part of yours."

Sheldon shook his head, clueless at her answer. He wasn't that clueless, though. The way Amy was talking to him teasingly, rife with borderline sexual innuendos, provided him with some clues as to what she was thinking.

"Your extraordinary brain." Amy shuffled in her seat and grinned.

Sheldon exhaled in relief, clutching his chest pridefully. "Thank you."

But Amy wasn't finished yet. "And your butt. How come they're very firm yet at the same time very squishy?"

"Amy!" Sheldon cried out, unconsciously grabbing the sides of his butt to protect it.

Everything about his reaction was delightful. It's hard to keep her hands off Sheldon when he's acting this innocent. In reality, he's as naughty and wild in bed as she is.

"What if I said that about your breasts?!" he refuted. Unbeknownst to him, Amy wasn't appalled at all. She even crossed her arms on her chest.

"Oh, please do! I would be very flattered!" she replied with sheer enthusiasm. There's nothing more gratifying than hearing your significant other compliment your appearance. Not that Amy badly needed the flattery, but hearing it from Sheldon, who's particularly mum and awkward about compliments, allowed them to be more comfortable with each other.

The rush of adrenaline within Sheldon's body dropped, as well as his shoulders. He was anticipating a scolding of some sort. "Oh . . . does that mean that we're allowed to say . . ."

"Yes, Sheldon," Amy said with absolute compassion and seriousness.

"Oh, okay," he remarked, freeing himself of the tension. "Well, I love your hips. Whenever I hold them, I feel very close to you. And they're also designed to activate my primal instinct to mark you as my mate, making me susceptible to sexual advances, which in turn makes me ravage you rather deliberately," Sheldon said casually.

"That's very elaborate," Amy replied in a hushed voice, almost turned on. That's the most explicit she would get from this question, and she's more than satisfied with that.

Sheldon motioned his 'I-know-it-is' gesture, head tilting swiftly and shoulders raised to his ears. "It is what they say: the bigger the better."

Amy choked on her water and deliberately smacked the table. Sheldon stared at her with a half-smile, half-frown on his face. Smiling from the fact that Amy's reaction is very contagious, and frowning from the confusion brought by the sudden outburst. He continued this expression but came around to realizing the double entendre of his statement.

"Oh . . ." he muttered, still couldn't avert his eyes upon Amy's reddened face.

He maintained his embarrassed face, still in disbelief that he would say such a thing. _The bigger the better, Sheldon, you're better than that_ , he chided himself. _Of course, your wife would really choke on that._ Oh God, there it was again! What's wrong with his brain?

Sheldon was completely in the dark about the meaning of the phrase. It must have concern his genitals if Amy's chuckling maliciously. _So that means I have larger than average appendages_ , he thought, pondering on what would qualify as _large_.

Returning to his wife, who apparently hasn't moved on from her fantasy, he cleared his throat and reached over to poke the back of her hand. "Alright, alright, what's the next question?"

Amy wiped off the sweat upon her forehead, sweeping away the short hair covering her face. She fanned herself, her hands trembling from her mirth. "Okay, okay." Amy exhaled through her mouth and sipped from her glass. "Question 13: _What are the favorite things you love spending money on_?"

Amy breathed out again before answering the question. "Books, clothing—now that it seems like I would be altering my wardrobe—and anything Little House on the Prairie."

Sheldon agreed, knowing what Amy likes the most. "Mine would be markers, comic books and memorabilia, and anything that I spend for you," he responded.

Amy cocked her head. Sheldon always buys something for her. Whenever they eat out, despite telling him that he's allowed to reimburse her, Sheldon always pays.

Special occasion or not, there's a gift waiting for her. It's not something extravagant, like jewelry or designer clothes, but it's something meaningful, like a flower or a handwritten note, or something very practical, like half a dozen of her favorite notebooks or a pizza stone or a suitcase!

"You never really want me to give you gifts," Amy pointed out.

"I don't mind accepting it now. I feel like whatever you give me, I can never really repay you," Sheldon admitted.

"Sure you can," urged Amy.

"Hmm . . . let's say a child? How can I repay that?" Sheldon asked, sincerely concerned that if Amy got pregnant, he doesn't know what to give Amy after all she'd been through.

"For the record, if we ever had children, they're not for the other, they're for the both of us. And your help with raising our child will be enough payment."

"Oh, right," he muttered. "I guess you could give me gifts." Defeated would be the word Sheldon would relate to his behavior. But it'd be a win for him once Amy starts giving him gifts. Oh, how exciting it would be.

"Question 14: _What question about our money or future spending do you find hard to ask?_ " Amy read the question.

Surprised to have heard the question, Sheldon started inquisitively, "Upon the conversation of having a family, I wonder if I'm still allowed to pursue comic books, action figures, and gadgets."

Straightforward, Amy answered, "Yes."

Sheldon raised his eyebrows. Her response was surely unexpected. He thought Amy would pause for a while, ponder on his question, but she just straight up agreed with him. "Yes? No hesitation?"

Amy offered him a tight-lipped but sincere smile. "Sheldon, I just robbed you of your virginity, bachelorhood, and soon enough, maybe your genetic material. You can still have your hobbies," she said softly, almost a tinge of sadness that Sheldon needed to ask her that in fear of change tackling him.

Crinkling his nose, Sheldon argued, " _'Robbed'_ is a very strong word. I did them willingly, Amy."

"I would very much love to see you engage in your hobbies and not overly consumed by the responsibilities of what's about to come. As long as we're saving and spending our money wisely, we can still buy the things that interest us," Amy explained, ever the rational one between the two of them.

"Thanks," he said, beaming in excitement. "What question do you want to ask me?"

Keeping on the theme of family, Amy thought of the questions she's been dying to know the answer to since the day they moved in together. She already asked a similar question in the past but Sheldon just diverted the topic to the order of whom in their group he would eat first in an apocalypse.

"Are we ever moving into a larger home?" Amy asked with reluctance, crossing her fingers underneath the table.

Unlike Amy, it took Sheldon a few seconds just to produce a sensible answer. She held her breath.

"Yes."

Amy exhaled, despite the suspense of the pause. "That's relieving to know."

"That is what you want, right?" Sheldon sought.

"Yes, but we need to be on the same page," reiterated Amy, aware that it is hard for him to move into someplace else. Even talking about it in the past had Sheldon spouting out every aspect that they need to consider, always talking Amy's ear off.

Amy watched as Sheldon rose from his seat and seemed like he was finding something inside his bag. He returned with his planner and a pen and started jotting down.

"What's that?" she asked, but Sheldon had to finish it first before replying.

"I'm recording this discussion. In two years, we should be living in our own home, or, at least be finding a home," he read from his planner and gazed into Amy with a grin.

"Two years . . . Don't you think it's too soon?" Amy hesitated. She understands the sentiment, but 2 years may not be enough especially after the whirlwind of professional and personal situations that might flood them in the next year.

"You said that we could conceive in a year or two, maybe less," said Sheldon, prepared to lay out his explanation. "Let's say you get pregnant in the last quarter of next year, you will give birth in the second quarter of the year after that." Sheldon began drawing a diagram to support his claims. "That gives us 4 to 6 months before this day." He encircled December 15, two years in the future. "It's either we just found a house or are still finding a house, everything will be settled by the first quarter of next, next, next year. Our child will be at least 7 to 8 months in the timeline."

"Assuming I get pregnant next year," Amy emphasized that none of Sheldon's plans would have happened if she didn't get pregnant first. It's true that they can buy a house now before planning to have a family, they could definitely employ that plan.

Sheldon straightened his back and rolled back his shoulders. "I just have to produce enthusiastic and healthy spermatozoa and make sure to make love to you every day."

"Oh, Sheldon Cooper, what have I done to you?" Amy started chuckling at the unfiltered words of her husband. She was grateful that Sheldon will be conscious of his well-being before conceiving, but she doesn't think that having sex every day would be a success and would definitely uncomfortable for her down there.

"Apparently, you have awakened a lecherous demon inside of me—a better term for when Penny called me a horny beast," he said.

Amy smirked as she read the next question. "Question 15: _Name 3 things that most excite your imagination when you imagine doing them?_ "

Amy initiated with her cheeky answer. "Hmm . . . online shopping, dissecting brains, and _making love_."

Her last answer on the list titillated Sheldon. He could also say that back but he had other things that excite him more. "Mine would be reading a comic book, staring at an empty whiteboard, and kissing you," he listed out.

"Kissing me excites your imagination more than having sex?" Amy questioned curiously.

Sheldon explained, "Kissing can lead to many things, both sexual and nonsexual, while having sex is already an imagination come true. There is very little room to imagine when we're having sex because it's literally the climax." He paused. He heard Amy produce a noise, more like a yelp, that made him think about what he just said. Catching himself, Sheldon added, "No pun intended."

Still dazzled at his thinking, Amy agreed. "Your logic does make sense."

Her eyes wandered about to Sheldon's thin, coral lips. Indeed, it was enjoyable to kiss him, especially how irresistible Sheldon is. But she never really put that much thought into imagining things while kissing him.

Realizing how it would be different now that she's cognizant of Sheldon's thoughts, Amy kinda wanna kiss him right then and there.

"I kinda want to kiss you, now," she muttered mindlessly, never intending to say that.

"Be my guest," Sheldon responded, leaning in from across the table.

Jolted, Amy almost slapped Sheldon across the face. She caught herself, and instead cupped Sheldon's cheek. Their lips sealed together in a chaste manner, but everything about Sheldon arouses her.

Amy felt her whole body wanting for more, seeking Sheldon's lips as he pulled away.

"What do you think of that kiss?" she murmured. Amy purposely said that in her deep, thick voice for the very purpose of arousing both of them.

Sheldon beamed sweetly, envisioning what he thought of that. "I imagine having a great day ahead of us, even though the sun will be setting in in 4 hours."

Amy's face dropped. Today might not be her lucky day.

But she was reminded of the promise she made in the morning. Amy gazed at the sky and asked enthusiastically, "Do you wanna play in the snow?"

"Play?" Sheldon scoffed, but his glimmering eyes said otherwise. "Of course, Amy! Who doesn't?!"


	4. Chapter 4

"Okay, last question for the night. Let's save the remaining 4 tomorrow."

Amy and Sheldon settled into their bed. Unfolding the piece of paper they've been relying on for questions, Amy read from it, "Question 16: _Do you keep secrets from me?"_ She peeked at Sheldon in fascination. "Ooh, this is intriguing. I do have an answer for you."

Straightening her back, she stalled to warn him. "And before you say anything, this is not a secret, but rather an incident that I never really thought I should tell you because nothing happened. It would have been a secret if it did happen."

Sheldon raised his eyebrows and waited.

"A few years back, Penny, Bernadette, and I . . ." she started.

Upon hearing the girls' name, Sheldon feigned an eye-roll, concerned at whatever frolicking they did with Amy. "Oh, god, I think I know where this is going."

"No, you don't. Let me finish," Amy abruptly cut him off to finish her story. "Right after Bernie weaned Halley off breastmilk, she and Penny were planning to get a tattoo. Naturally, I tagged along."

Sheldon furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. He had seen and _drunk_ the entirety of Amy's body, not an ounce of it was inked. "But you don't have a tattoo."

Offering a wicked smile, Amy insinuated, "It's on your favorite body part."

Sheldon's jaw slacked. From the numerous times he'd seen parts of her body not exactly for the public to gawk at, how come he never got a glimpse of it?! He was about to undress Amy and find that tattoo!

"It's not, it's not! But I was considering it," Amy quickly supplemented her answer so as not to confuse Sheldon.

Sheldon wouldn't mind a tattoo, but what made him jolt was the fact that, if there ever was, he never saw it. If that was the case, Amy sure did a number on him.

"I considered it very hard, but at the last minute, I caved in. They were even cheering for me, but the needles were really frightening." She shivered at the thought of the needle pricking her skin.

"So you just watched them while they got a tattoo?" he asked very, very curious.

"Oh no, I had my ears pierced." She pulled away the hair covering her ears, revealing a barely noticeable earring above the first one that Sheldon always knew about.

"Oh, that's why your stud earring magically multiplied in one ear. I thought I was just imagining things," he muttered, things were finally making sense.

And it wasn't only the thing that he saw. He also saw a lone hoop earring on the helix of her right ear around the time when the wound was still fresh. She must've probably left it in California now that Sheldon can't see anything.

Amy really did take every chance that she could in piercing her ears after her mother prohibited her in the past.

"You said needles were frightening?" he asked.

"It isn't if they just jab the needle in, unlike having to sit for minutes, if not hours, while they poke your skin," Amy explained as she fiddled with her earlobe. She rarely wears the second earring now, so it's possible Sheldon forgot about seeing it.

Sheldon mused. "Well, if you really got a tattoo, would you tell me right before you get it?"

Amy hemmed and hawed, teetering between telling the truth or telling what would appease Sheldon.

"Of course, I would," she finally decided on the answer. "But I doubt that you would have enough time to contest."

Sheldon shrugged casually. "Well, I really have no say about what you do, right?"

"Technically, you don't, but you can have your opinion. And besides, I wouldn't do something I know will heavily affect me or our relationship," she said, "But promise me that if I do, knock some sense into me, will you?"

Sheldon agreed, reaching over his hand for Amy to shake it. She let out a hearty chuckle as she returned the gesture.

"How about you, Sheldon Cooper, _what's your secret_?" Amy then asked, leaning over to better scrutinize her husband. "Or is there even a secret to begin with?"

Shifting from his seat, Sheldon admitted proudly, "I do have a secret, and I am not sure how you'll react to it."

Her face glowed as she rubbed her hands together. "Ooh, let's hear it." What made Amy so eager to hear Sheldon's secret is because he never keeps secrets. Presently, he can keep a small secret for a day or two. After that, all hell breaks loose.

Amy doesn't mind Sheldon keeping harmless secrets from her. For instance, she was annoyed when the half-burrito she purposely hid in the fridge suddenly disappeared overnight. She tried hard to remember if she kept it there in the first place, eventually letting go of the mysterious burrito thief. In the end, Sheldon came clean a day after. Turns out he came home from playing video games all evening to the beguiling sight of her burrito and couldn't help but devour it in seconds.

She had forgiven him way before he confessed to eating her burrito. But what's fascinating was, it only took him a day, after witnessing a distraught Amy scavenge the fridge for the remains of her burrito, to admit that he ate it. He felt really guilty about it though, running to the nearest _burrito restaurant_ (as he frantically called it, unaware that people really don't call it a burrito restaurant) so that Amy can finally finish a whole burrito.

Sheldon started saying his secret. "Well, do you remember the night we broke up . . ."

"Yes." Eagerness was in her voice. It sounds like his secret is more intriguing than hers.

"A few weeks after that Leonard Nimoy's son interviewed me for the documentary . . ."

"Yes . . ." But then his story steered, and Amy was clueless as to what this secret might be.

"I really liked Adam and the way he interviewed me. He was a very calming interviewer and knows how to engage with the person he's talking to. I also liked that he asked to see my collectibles, including that Leonard Nimoy napkin that is housed in my cashbox, inside the wall safe—"

Amy touched her hand on his arm. "Babe, let me stop you there. Where is this going?" she asked, once and for all.

"Well, inside that cashbox is your engagement ring, and Penny and Leonard saw that, and they were very surprised. I have no clue why, because I envisioned having one wife and it was you, and they all started bombarding me with these pathetic questions that I lambasted them in front of Adam." His eyebrows pulled down in disappointment.

Amy vaguely remembered hearing that story from Penny. They were in a spa resort, and she was too occupied with the jets of water hitting her back.

"Honestly, I was relieved Adam didn't include that footage in the documentary. I'm a well-known figure in the fandom, and God knows the Trekkies would disown me provided that Adam used that clip."

"Sheldon, you're digressing! What's with the ring?!" Amy laughed, extending her arms in exaggeration. Oh, how she loves Sheldon talking too much!

"Oh, right. Yeah, after everyone cleared for the night, I pocketed the ring inside my windbreaker and caught a bus to your apartment."

Amy cocked her head. "I don't remember ever seeing you."

His features softened in a sad medley. "I was standing across the street, watching as you came home from your date, which I later discovered was that Englishman, Dave." He sighed deeply before continuing. "And I saw that he kissed you," he stammered, " _on the lips_."

"I was going to propose to you that night. Not because I love you, in which I do, but because I was overcome with selfishness and wanted you and me to be married so I wouldn't have to worry about another man."

Sheldon paused and shifted on this seat. "And then two weeks after that we went to the aquarium, and you asked me if we can resume our relationship. I wanted to but my anger consumed me after I remembered Dave kissing you. Oh God, how dumb of me to assume that we were better off as friends."

Sheldon looked up and saw Amy staring at him intently, sadness was in her eyes. "In other words, I attempted to propose out of spite because I wanted things to go back to normal, the normal that was always with you."

Amy let out a heavy sigh. She reached over and embraced him. "Sorry," was all Amy could say.

Sheldon chuckled and caressed her back. "I was supposed to propose on the night we broke up, but you left before I even unlocked the wall safe. I was supposed to propose the day the ring arrived from Texas, but Meemaw told me it might be too soon. I was supposed to propose on a random day because it was Pi Day, but then I remembered it's also Albert Einstein's birthday and there's too much to celebrate if I proposed," he muttered. "I apologize for all I did."

"Sheldon, don't be sorry." Amy cupped his cheeks and gazed at the way emotions registered. The hurt she felt when they broke up emerged. She was hurt for Sheldon. Amy smiled and renewed her enthusiasm. "But everything went as planned."

"They sure did," he said quietly.

Amy felt his lips land on hers for a quick, soft kiss. Sheldon pulled away and yawned. "I'm tired," Sheldon muttered, rubbing the cloth covering her waist.

Amy followed yawning. She chuckled and whispered, "Me too."

They both laid down on the bed. Sheldon still wouldn't let go of Amy, holding her against his body. Amy tilted her head up to nestle her face on Sheldon's jaw.

She seemed too eager to kiss him. Tilting her head, she pecked his jaw. Then his lips, lingering for a while. Sheldon stared at her with half-open eyes. Sheldon didn't look bothered by what she did so Amy had to kiss him again.

Amy had to put Sheldon's answer to the test the second time around. He said kissing gives more room for imagination, and she did it a few hours ago but her interpretation of their kiss was largely different from Sheldon's.

She stretched her leg across his abdomen and kissed him from above.

Her imagination wasn't running wild. It wasn't a sea ravaged by a violent storm. It was calm waters, ebbing and flowing with desire.

Their kiss was as slow as it can get, yet emotions were heavy. Amy thought that if she keeps up with this, she would fall asleep with their lips joined together. Which isn't a bad thing, but she doubts Sheldon would be pleased.

They kept going at that slow rate. Amy's imagination brought her into their cabin. _Not that imaginative_. They were sitting on the floor, fronting the fireplace. A blanket was wrapped around their shoulders, keeping them warm for the night.

Amy shifted her weight on his stomach, retreating backward so she can straighten her back. She felt Sheldon's grip on her waist tighten as soon as she moved. Something inexplicably stiff hit her behind. With a start, she lifted her head to Sheldon's face on the brink of sleep. She couldn't put a finger on both the thing prodding her and the expression on Sheldon's face.

"It's a natural response. I'll just sleep it off," Sheldon muttered, embracing her while she was still on top.

She suddenly realized what that was. It was the thing! His thing! It turns out she and Sheldon were imagining different scenarios while they were kissing. Amy was more bummed out that their imaginations were unrelated to one another than worry about his manhood poking her.

Well, she can still imagine differently, right?

Amy pushed her palm against his chest and lifted her upper body. She licked her lips and gazed at him. "I can give you a hand." Amy cocked her head as she purposely grazed her butt on his tenting organ. "Or maybe a head." Amy leaned forward, their parts lined together, much to Sheldon's pleasure. "Whatever works for you."

Sheldon groaned softly and pushed her head softly. Amy took that as a sign. A _head_ , indeed.

Her hands traveled from his face across his chest, down to his abdomen, before finding their way inside of Sheldon's pants.

His slow and leveled breathing hitched and suddenly became shallow. Amy couldn't help but smirk at his reaction. She could easily squeeze out any reaction from Sheldon on cue and still surprise her.

Amy lowered the band of his pajamas, his briefs coming with it. It was surprising to see his shaft sprung out like it was deprived of its freedom. At the same time, Sheldon moaned in relief, still holding the top of her head.

Amy didn't waste a minute. She kissed both sides of his erect member before lapping the tip. Sheldon growled in what Amy thought was a wild animal on the loose.

His grasp on her head tightened. Amy took him in whole, at least that's what she thought. She rarely can fit him all in, almost three-quarters inside her mouth without even gagging.

Amy lolled her jaw and moved her tongue against the underside of his shaft.

"Oh, Amy!" Sheldon exclaimed, almost in a wail of desperation.

Amy did just what she can do to smile at his desperate calls. Her saliva pooled around her lip, slowly dripping down on the base.

Her head bobbed very slowly, which Sheldon didn't seem to like much. _So impatient_ , Amy thought as he held his hips down. She tried to steady Sheldon's undulating moves, but he was just too strong.

Amy retreated from her ministrations and observed what she did to her husband. She chuckled very softly. He was dazed, almost delirious. What had she done to this man? She drew her head down and sucked on his neck. Her hand gripped his manhood in an awkward position and continued her mouth's previous activity.

Sheldon groaned and squeezed her butt. "I swear to God, Amy if you don't finish—"

Amy didn't wait for him to finish what he was about to say. She just rested her jaw and thought teasing Sheldon would be a delight.

She brought her head back down and engulfed him in one go, to the point where the tip, where he's most sensitive, touched her throat.

He twitched inside of her mouth. He moaned. He cried. He almost passed out when he held his breath. "Ohhh!" Sheldon jerked when Amy lapped her tongue on the length of his shaft and massaged his balls lightly.

Amy sucked him as Sheldon's whole body trembled. She inhaled very ruggedly and braced herself on what's about to happen. She held his thighs, delighted that they were tenser than she expected. The salty liquid gushed against the roof of her mouth. She tried her best to keep it all in until she milked every drop of him. Humming against his member, Amy hollowed out her cheeks and kept everything inside her mouth.

She withdrew his semi-hard member slowly, making sure she doesn't drip. Amy walked to the bathroom to deal with the juice inside her mouth.

She tried it swallowing it once, sometime during their honeymoon, but it wasn't for her. She may come around it someday, maybe she doesn't. She just wants to feel him inside her mouth, throbbing aggressively, as she milked him clean.

After a minute, Amy returned from the bathroom, equally satisfied with herself and her handiwork. She returned to Sheldon laying limp on the bed. She thought she was asleep but the violent rising of his chest told her otherwise.

Sheldon's release alone gave her the satisfaction she should have gotten that night. Oh, well, she can last overnight without her own relief and let Sheldon manhandle her tomorrow for some vigorous touching.

She laid a kiss on his lip, tasting the mint of the mouthwash and Sheldon's own taste. Sheldon seemed to not mind as he listless grabbed her head to keep her there.

Amy retreated. Even though her weary body was screaming for her to lie down already, she managed to grab some wet wipes and cleaned his not-so-erect shaft while she was laying on her side. Surely Sheldon wouldn't want to sleep in his sticky situation. She pulled up the bands of his brief and pajamas and dropped a kiss on his cheek.

"Sweet dreams, Sheldon," she murmured, on which Sheldon moaned and embraced her tighter.


	5. Chapter 5

Early morning, mid-December in a wintry country had made Amy burrow into the sheets. The weather was extremely cozy and unlike California in December, sleeping in was acceptable in his part of the world—well, at least what they thought. Amy closed off the remaining space in between her and Sheldon and managed to share their body heat.

She moved closer, buried her face on his chest, wrapped her arms around his waist, and interlaced her legs on his, essentially producing a creature of its own.

What felt even better was Sheldon wrapped his arms around her body, holding her in place for their morning cuddle.

She thought to sleep for another 5 minutes when a sudden whisper of, " _Happy birthday_ ," rang in her ears.

Not letting the chance pass up, Amy peeked at her husband, again with his eyes closed and his lips contorted in a cheeky smile. It proved the very thing she said 2 days ago about Sheldon's habit of smiling while rousing from his sleep. _Oh, how charming_.

"Thank you," she said finally, before stretching her body against his.

Sheldon laid a peck on her lips. He stared at her with his half-open eyes and dropped his smile. He smirked instead, which Amy found very bizarre. It was like he was up to do something mischievous.

"Is there a birthday gift hiding somewhere?" Amy lifted her head and looked around the area. It might be the very reason why Sheldon seemed proud of himself.

"In fact, there is," Sheldon confirmed. "Although, I could have told you last night that my secret is your birthday gift," he said. After a lengthy retelling of his secret, he mildly regretted not saying her gift is his secret, which would have probably denied him of feeling worthless.

"Then it wouldn't be a surprise anymore," Amy then pointed out, before soothing Sheldon of his qualms. "And I liked listening to your story last night. It goes to show that our relationship is never perfect, but that can't stop us from ending up in a place where we both agree on. Amusing that despite all your failed proposals in the past, we still got married and coexisted with one another."

Sheldon was astounded at her words, even formulating a coherent response brought him to the very first part of their conversation.

"It's only part one of the gifts," he started, "I purposely left it in California given that it was so large to haul it in this continent."

Sleepy-eyed Amy jolted from being in a bleary state upon hearing the enormity of her gift. "Is it really? How big is it?"

"About the size of a pillow," Sheldon reiterated. "It is an assortment of gifts packed in a box."

"That big, huh?" Amy whispered, putting her fingers on her lips in a daze. She didn't intend it to be that sultry.

Sheldon jerked his head. "Are we still talking about the gifts?"

Might as well play their game. "Maybe." Amy drew her face closer to Sheldon. "Maybe not."

Sheldon smirked haughtily. "After what you did to me last night . . ." he said, almost accusatory.

In reality, Sheldon wasn't upset about what Amy did to him, but more amazed and astonished that she would do that. There were a handful of times that he has bestowed that kind of gift, and it must have been a special night last night that he was sucked into eternity.

Acting innocent, Amy's face made a silly yet obviously guilty expression. It was as though she was surprised by his accusation. "What did I do?"

"Don't act like you don't know what happened." Sheldon's look was askance. "I was hoping to give you the _'gift'_ at midnight. But you had decided that you couldn't wait anymore and blew me for your pleasure," he said with a shadow of disappointment.

Even if the _'gift'_ was given at midnight, Sheldon doesn't think that it would be satisfactory and enjoyable for him and Amy, at the very least.

They had never missed that 'gift-giving' at midnight right from the beginning. Once, they missed because of Halley. And the second one they missed the 12 o'clock mark by an hour and a half, but quickly redeemed themselves with 3 hours of 'gift-giving' that eventually led them to call in sick for work.

"FYI, that blowjob was for your own pleasure; not mine." She smiled. "And I'm sorry, Honey," Amy expressed her regret over the incident. "But was it up to your standards?"

Sheldon snickered loudly. "Up to my standards? Woman, didn't you see how much I trembled last night? I don't know where you learned and who taught you these things."

"Penny told me to practice on a banana," she exclaimed proudly and bobbed her head like a chicken pecking on corn.

There would be no words to describe how Sheldon reddened angrily. She chuckled. He covered his eyes and shrieked, "Oh lord, what else did she teach you?"

"You really don't wanna hear about it," she whispered coyly.

"You're right, I don't," he sighed, bringing his head down as though he was disappointed. However, a second went by and he jerked his head and poked Amy's waist with his finger. "Because it's a surprise?!"

"Stop!" Amy tapped his hand away to no avail. Sheldon continued tickling her, eventually lifting his leg across her mid-torso to do it from above. As a ticklish person, all Amy did was squirm and laugh so hard, she might have alerted the nearest neighbor which lives almost a quarter of a mile west of their cabin. And who knows if that place was occupied.

"Sheldon!" She screamed with laughter, pushing her head on the pillow. "Stop it!"

"This is for all the times you tickle me to death!" he said gruffly, as though he was intensifying his attack. In reality, Sheldon was just moving his arms farther up before tickling Amy for dramatic effect.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Amy yelped, her eyes shut close.

"This is my revenge!" he declared maniacally.

With one last carrying of his arms, Sheldon laid them very carefully on Amy's sides, putting an end to his spree. His decision was abrupt, he still wants to tickle Amy because her laughter is a titillating sound no one would pass up. But by the looks of it, Amy was getting weary of his barrage.

"Are you okay?" He asked, very concerned that her forehead was sweating and her face turned a shade of red.

"Yes," Amy replied, breathless but grinning.

Sheldon felt bad for doing that to Amy, but she doesn't seem angry at him. He scooted down and nestled his head on her neck, carefully that he wouldn't squish Amy too hard. He stayed there for a while, putting kisses on her neck, which he knew Amy liked so much because of how her body shivered and her hand fondled his hair.

He pulled away to ask the question he should've asked at midnight. "Do you want to get your _'gift'_ now or later in the evening?" Such a naughty lady, rendering him incapacitated through the night after her mouth sucked him dry.

After regaining her energy, Amy appeared very eager and thrilled. "Can I have both?"

Sheldon nodded his head. "Very well," he said in his deep and raspy voice.

He started unbuttoning his top, yanking the white shirt underneath, essentially unwrapping his _gift_ for Amy.

All Amy could do was let out a very long " _Hoooo_ " of stirring arousal. Breakfast be damned, alright, Sheldon Cooper's the whole buffet.

* * *

The sun was a few degrees over the horizon when they woke up the second time around. It would be acceptable to wake up at sunrise, but it's a different story when sunrise starts at 8 a.m. Sheldon and Amy were very, very _deep_ into their activities that caring about the sun, or the outside world in general, was the least of their concerns.

Amy thought devouring the _Sheldon buffet_ would appease her hunger; it didn't, only her sexual hunger. So a huge breakfast was prepared, with the help of last night's leftover and a few provisions they got 2 days ago, they finally had the means to formally celebrate Amy's birthday.

They ate over at the balcony, unabashedly in their bathrobes (with a thick layer of coat, too bothered to dress appropriately in winter) while the sunlight basked over their faces.

The Alps proudly displaying its grand and asymmetrical peaks prompted Sheldon and Amy to take photos of each other despite their barely clothed state. Just the raw beauty both of the mountains and Amy had figuratively brought Sheldon into his knees, his heart pounded, his breath hitched.

Sheldon waited as Amy finished her bath. After having a quick shower himself, Amy asked him if she could have a bath by herself submerged in warm, soapy water. It was kind of unfair if he refused the birthday girl, so alone time it is.

After all, Sheldon thought he needed to rest his legs, after likely pulling a muscle due to their matrimonial activities. He was doubtful if he can still provide the second part of the gift later tonight, but he'll see what he can do.

His eager eyes wandered around the lone paper on the table, folded and creased on one side after being trampled the other day by their bodies. They were just too exhilarated to get down to business at the expense of their source of entertainment.

However unfortunate it was to stop their question on the 16th, it mollified him to have known that there would be 4 more questions to answer.

 _Ahh, this is a life worth living_.

To be honest, he was going about how he enjoyed the entirety of their questioning. Just the 2 of them alone in a cabin dropped in a snowy valley, away from any nuisances, just pure joy.

There may be some uncomfortable and deeming interactions, due to unvisited memories, the experience of having to answer questions and be comfortable talking about things that wouldn't necessarily excite a significant other had brought gratification for Sheldon alone.

Sheldon had to wait for 15 more minutes. Another 5, and he would have barged into the bathroom to save Amy. Saving need not as she strutted the remaining steps into the tiny closet by the bed, revitalized and carefree.

He leered at her while getting dressed, occasionally averting his eyes because his mother wouldn't be pleased that she raised a sleazy man ogling a woman, although George Jr. must've proved his mother's predicament.

Amy slipped on the very last of her clothes to see Sheldon cross-legged and leaning on one arm as he watched her intently. Sheldon's whole body jolted as he stood on his feet very awkwardly, oblivious as to what he's supposed to do with his hands and feet.

Amy laughed it off and approached him. She leaned over his body, like she was going to kiss him, and pressed her breasts against his chest. But she reached beyond him and snatched that piece of paper from the table. Sheldon's thighs wouldn't have been ready if she tried to pursue _that_.

"Shall we?" she asked, taking a seat.

Sheldon gulped and nodded.

"Here it goes," Amy started excitedly. They might be able to finish it today. "Question 17: _What are a couple of things that you appreciate about our relationship and why do these things seem significant_?"

She paused to let Sheldon take the talking stick.

Sheldon thought of the very recent circumstance that proves his answer. "Honestly, I appreciate that you acknowledge the space that we needed from each other," he admitted, "We don't have to be together all of the time. We don't have to be doing the same things every minute. There is no verbal indication as to when the other needs space, but we somehow know when it happens."

He continued, "Secondly, I have never met anyone as honest and loyal as you."

Amy went tight-lipped as she suppressed saying _"Aww."_

"And you bring that into the relationship. I may not be the very best in honesty, especially when I have all these tics, but I am loyal to you."

"You absolutely are," Amy agreed. "But not when Ramona kissed you! Ha!" she joked around, knowing very well that the Ramona issue was behind them.

"Amy, she's the one who kissed me! I never liked it. Not a speck! I would trade all my rare comic book collection just so you would believe me!" he exclaimed.

Amy suddenly felt a rush of guilt. That must have really affected Sheldon. "I believe you. But don't do that to your comic book collection, you love them as much as you love me, and I don't want to stand in the way of your picture books." She reached over to touch his arm. "Do you think that if she hadn't kissed you we would be married today?"

"No." His voice was filled with resolution. "Kiss or no kiss, you would still be my wife," he said with his head up, proud. "I planned out the timeline of my proposal. It was supposed to be a day before your birthday of that year. A few months prior to our real proposal date."

 _The day before her birthday_. Amy furrowed her brows in confusion. "Why not on my birthday instead?"

Sheldon let out an ' _Ahh'_ of excitement. "Given that we only had sex once a year, proposing on the day prior to your birthday would give us an extra day to engage in sexual relations," he explained.

Amy tapped on the table. "How certain were you that we would have sex on the day you proposed?"

Very slowly, Sheldon raised his eyebrows in a comical manner. He waited for Amy to understand the expression that he was showing. She would've lost her memories if she hadn't remembered the events that happened after their proposal which happened after a fight which also happened after he talked to Stephen Hawking in Amy's bathroom.

Amy gasped lightly, covering her mouth with her hand. She chuckled, "Oh, right we did . . .," upon realizing that they had sex the night after he proposed.

"Anyway, back to our question," Sheldon resumed, not after chuckling at Amy's innocent confusion. "Lastly, I appreciate how perceptive, not just to others but also to me. I only accepted that I'm a difficult man once you mentioned it to me. And I strive to make it a little easier for you." He was getting red in the face at his admission.

"And I thank you for that." Amy curtsied. "But you don't have to make it too easy. I married you to be challenged," she jest, moving her eyebrows up and down.

Sheldon narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms on his chest. "Oh, prepare to be challenged, Amy."

They exchanged laughter at Sheldon's silliness. It would have been very convenient not to be so consumed by their emotions. But both of them learned how to be candid with their emotions. And Sheldon displaying this level of openness would dethrone past Sheldon in terms of tenderness.

Amy paused to think of her answer. "Um, let's see." She roamed her eyes around the room. "I appreciate the independence I get from this relationship. You know, I always knew I would marry someone very similar to me, someone who's of high intellect and involved in exceptional work." Amy's features softened when Sheldon blushed. "But a major drawback of that is there is a possibility of me succumbing to that man."

Sheldon rocked his head, bewildered. "And by succumb, you mean . . ."

"Taking his name, being submissive to him, and maybe eventually giving up my career so that he can have his. You know, _patriarchy_ ," she breathed heavily, followed by a grin. "But you proved to be different, Sheldon. And I don't think I would worry too much about you derailing my career."

Sheldon smiled proudly and reached over to touch her hand.

Amy added, "Secondly, there is an inherent respect and fairness that sometimes you don't get from friends and colleagues, even family members."

"I was raised to respect people, especially women. You're a woman and my wife, and you're worth my respect," he explained like a smug kid getting all those perfect scores.

"And back to when you said that I was more perceptive, what you don't know is, you are, too."

Sheldon was taken aback. "I am?"

"Taking care of me when I'm sick, being there for me when my day's rough, being sensitive about my feelings, the list goes on," she listed. Unbeknownst to Amy, Sheldon's chest was pounding.

He never realized that his attempt, a pathetic one as he would describe, to take heed of what Amy was feeling would leave a big impact on her. He thought he was just being nice since his mother duly pointed out that he should be always there for his wife no matter what.

Amy added, "I don't have to worry about these preconceived notions about marriage and relationship because we agree upon things. I can read you, you can read me, and we can accommodate each other pretty well."

"Although, there is still a learning curve I have yet to master," Sheldon added frankly.

Amy gave him a lopsided smile. "At least, you've tried, right?"

She looked down at the piece of paper, still sporting that smile. "Question 18: _What aspects of our relationship do you want to change_?"

"Do we have to?" Sheldon sighed hesitantly. "It doesn't feel very true to our relationship when we do it intentionally," he said as he thought of the failed proposal he planned. As much as he wanted to look at them positively, Sheldon knew that if he proposed at the wrong time, nothing in their relationship will prosper.

Amy agreed to his reasoning. "Maybe try a new fabric softener, sure, we can do that," she suggested, "But attending a club for our date night and getting wasted all night long, that's not very characteristic, if not economical, of us. Who would want to spend that amount of money and energy just to get drunk that badly?"

"Penny," Sheldon said with a straight face. "But she can't now that she's pregnant." He chuckled breathily.

Amy went back to the question. "All I'm saying is, if we force a change down our throats, our relationship will suffer." She paused, allowing the sentence to sink in, "However, if we let a change to happen organically, we will be at ease as to how we'll handle our relationship"

"Got it," he replied after a second of pondering. "But don't you think that there are organic changes that wouldn't bring something good into the relationship?"

"Possible," she answered honestly. "We can have a conversation when we start to notice the change."

"Like when you cut your hair and changed your clothing," Sheldon said.

"Yes. We talked about it."

"After the fact that you already cut your hair and changed your clothes," Sheldon pointed out.

"Well," Amy hesitated. The argument was in the gray area. "I had my hair trimmed a little bit shorter than usual and bought professional clothes. That's when I talked to you about changing my appearance."

Sheldon raised his eyebrows in anticipation.

"Was having my hair trimmed a little and having bought a few work clothes too much of a change?" she asked curiously.

He shook his head.

"No, right? But then after I realized that I wanted to try an even shorter hair and more ladylike clothes, that was the time that I discussed it with you," Amy pointed out. She was calm, but her voice seemed heavy and almost mad. Though, she wasn't just looking back at Sheldon's initial reaction pissed her off.

Sheldon sensed the tension surrounding Amy. But this time, he knew why. "I'm sorry for that reaction, that was unwarranted. There was just too much happening at the same time, Amy."

"I know." She reached over to hold his hand. "I'm so sorry that your wife had to be one of them."

Sheldon flashed her his most adorable smile. "As long as I'm allowed to change."

Amy situated her chin in her palm. "What are you going to change?"

"I don't know, maybe a few pairs of Dockers," he listed, "New shoes." He looked at his bare feet. He probably needs a new pair of shoes; his previous one is almost 3 years old. "Take up a mystery writing workshop." He shrugged. "I don't know," once again repeating his first sentence.

Amy's eyes widened. "Ooh, you can go blonde?"

Sheldon scrunched his nose. "I thought you liked the dark hair-blue eyes combination."

"You're right," she agreed. "I don't know what's with that combination that makes a person so attractive." Amy's imagination ran amok at her husband's features.

Sheldon whispered his thanks after blushing profusely. He roamed his eyes around the room and set his eyes on his backpack.

"Do you want to receive your gift now or later?" he asked, almost giddy.

Amy leaned forward and asked, "Wait, are we talking about a real gift or the euphemism gift?"

"The real gift," Sheldon clarified as he rummaged inside his bag.

Amy clapped her hands in excitement. "Yes, please!"

"And I probably need to rest before I give you the other gift. My hamstrings are sore," he clarified as he limped slightly back to the table.

"Thank you." Amy smiled before giving him a kiss.

She ran her hand on the surface of the box. Every year and every birthday gift, after Sheldon decided that sex was not enough to give his wife, she received from Sheldon was always wrapped in light-colored kraft paper with black splotches, wrapped with black twine. That part of the tradition never faltered. She pulled the string and lifted the cover.

"Ooh, silk," she muttered, running her hands across the contents of the box.

"2 pairs of silk pajamas and 2 silk nightgowns," he iterated, peeking through the box. "All machine friendly."

Amy pulled the clothing one by one. First were the 2 pairs of sleeveless top and shorts, which she assumed were the pajamas, followed by the 2 nightgowns that proved to be borderline lingerie. "Is this for sexy time?"

Amy brought up the thin-strapped, thigh-leveled nightgown. Though it was not a tight-fitting garment but a rather flowing one, Amy couldn't miss the fact that the collar was delineated by black lace and plunged a bit lower than expected.

"Whatever you use it for. And it's pretty decent, don't you think?"

Amy cocked her head and smiled in agreement. _Decent, you say_ , she thought. It'll probably drive him wild if she wore these right there and then.

Sheldon reached from his pocket and retrieved a dark blue box. "And this one too."

"Jewelry?" she asked, retrieving the box. It looked like it was going to be a ring until she opened it.

"Yes. I hope you find it appropriate."

In it was a pair of earrings in a shape that looks particularly familiar. She gazed outside the balcony to see snow falling calmly from the sky. She looked back down at the gift and saw the image of a snowflake. _Oh, how apropos!_

"Those got Penny and Bernadette's stamp of approval. They told me that I should be responsible now to pick my wife's gift, but I told them I was not an expert on jewelry," he sighed, almost sounding disappointed in himself.

"They're beautiful," Amy whispered.

"I should hope so. I'm the one who picked it," he announced, as he watched Amy take it off the box. "I hope you don't mind but the stones are made out of cubic zirconia, not real diamonds."

Amy smiled as she was putting on the right earring. Stones don't matter. They're just materials. She could be given all the expensive things in the world, and it wouldn't be as important as Sheldon's gift.

"It's like you're preparing me for a night of fun. Silk nightgowns, glimmering jewelry. The only thing left is you on your knees, begging me to give it to you." Amy chuckled, looking at her ears in the mirror. She returned to the table. Their lips touched once more, it was Amy's way to say she's grateful.

Sheldon smirked devilishly. "Oh, don't you dare, woman. I could power through my muscle strain and have _you_ on your knees." He grabbed her ass as she was pulling away.

Amy was certain her whole body trembled ever so slightly. She blinked her eyes rapidly and, with trembling hands, grabbed the paper. "Anywho, w-what's the next question?"

_Keep it together, Amy!_


	6. Chapter 6

After a hard second and lots of water, she asked the penultimate question, "Question 19: _In what situations do you feel most afraid or insecure_?"

Sheldon now employed his logical side. "It's clearly evident what my answer would be. It's usually being in a large crowd. When we were delivering our Nobel speech, I wasn't feeling anything particular other than elation and gratefulness. It was when the ceremony was done and we were paraded around the auditorium that I suddenly felt afraid."

He sighed. "Not exactly the type of scared where you're afraid for your life. I was scared that these academics would look at me like I was a fraud."

"You were insecure . . ." Amy muttered.

"I guess you could say that." Sheldon shrugged. He stood up to get a glass of water. "I was afraid that they would ask me these questions, and I couldn't supplement the correct answer. Oh, God! The horror!"

She smiled almost a smile of pity. "But I'm proud that you overcame it. Those people were in awe listening to you speak."

Sheldon flashed her his haughty expression. "You influenced the conversations, Amy. I was just there supporting you."

Amy finally accepted the compliment being dropped by Dr. Nobel Laureate, and finally proceeded with her answer.

She moved on her seat, ill at ease. "Is it wrong to feel insecure while I'm buck naked?"

"No," he answered directly. "Do you feel that when we make love?" he asked.

Amy was shocked that he sounded very calm upon knowing her revelation. "Rarely, but I often used to in the past," she revealed, "especially in the first 6 months of our marriage."

Sheldon appeared like he was somewhat hurt by her confession. "Why?"

She sighed heavily, unknowing of what his reaction might be. "Because we went from having sex once a year to having sex once, if not twice, a week," she confided, "which is quite jarring."

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked in concern. Sheldon would have approached this delicately if Amy had told her.

"Because it was a pretty trivial feeling. It soon subsided in the past year."

"But why were you experiencing that?" he asked, almost agitated.

"You're sounding like my therapist." Amy chuckled to ease the tension. "Because I was raised in a pretty conservative household, Sheldon. Sex and relationships were taboo—even saying vagina or penis would get you in trouble. My mom didn't allow me to attend sex ed classes in middle school and high school. I was only exposed to that in college," she explained, even though Sheldon had heard this part of her a million times.

"I know that it was a long time ago, but the early days of our intimacy felt like a roller coaster ride," Amy admitted to her husband. "I was suddenly thrust into this relationship with a man as clueless and innocent as I am, learning the ropes of sex."

Sheldon grinned at Amy's use of the word _innocent._ Well, he's not that innocent anymore. "I sometimes feel that way," he confessed. "But then, I remember that I'm experiencing it with you, and everything seems to return to normal."

"Well, insecurities are just insecurities." She reached over to grasp his hands, their eyes connected in longing. "We experience them, sure, but that doesn't mean we're less of a person, right?"

He nodded thoughtfully. "Very well, said."

"Thank you," Amy said proudly. "You should come with me to my therapist, we talk about a lot of these things."

Amy let out a laugh, while Sheldon blushed.

"Does she know me?" he asked in a hushed tone, as though they were being watched.

Amy widened her eyes. "Oh, more than you can imagine!"

* * *

After having a quick lunch, followed by a power nap, they decided to put off the last question until after they ate their dinner.

Amy stretched her arms before she grabbed the paper. She sat at the side of the bed while Sheldon was still wiping the dishes. "Question 20: _Who are you most envious of?"_

Sheldon scoffed as his back was against her. "Isn't it obvious? I'm envious of you," he remarked with pride.

"Me?" Amy shrieked. "Then I'm envious of you, too!" She returned while suppressing a laugh.

"Why me?" he asked incredulously. Sheldon sat beside her, crossing his legs.

"All your answers in the 19 questions are the reason why I'm envious of you," Amy said seriously. She was in awe of Sheldon from the very beginning, throwing questions and answering them made Amy perceive him from a different perspective. Why does it feel like she loves Sheldon the past year more than she loved him in the past? Was that wrong to feel.

" _All your answers in the 19 questions are the reason why I'm envious of you!_ " he copied. Sheldon couldn't contain his smile as he said that.

"You're copying me!" Amy pointed her finger accusingly.

"Well, there is no denying in that," he admitted and crossed his arms. "Which is true. I never expected this trip to be transformative, and I'm not saying that in a spiritual sense, but personally, I know more about myself than I used to." Sheldon's lips curled into a genuine smile that made Amy realize how grateful she was for her husband.

"Seriously, you've grown so much. And who would have thought it is for the better?" she said.

Sheldon jerked his head in acknowledgment. "I have you to thank for that."

She raised a finger to clarify. "Though, I'm just an agent of change. Your willingness made it happen."

Sheldon furrowed his forehead and pursed his lips while he touched his chin. "So what you're saying is that you nagged me into becoming who I am today?"

Amy let out a chuckle. "I did what now?"

"But you're no worse than me. I've seen you grow throughout this relationship," Sheldon pointed out.

Amy nodded. "Which brings us back to the main statement: we are the agents of change to each other's lives, but it wouldn't happen if we didn't let it." She added, "This pushed us to tackle things we wouldn't even imagine, right?"

"Right," he agreed, deep in his thoughts. "I never knew about your Bossanova obsession," he said teasingly.

"Neither was your insecurities," Amy added.

"Especially your insecurities," he said decidedly. "Amy, other than your therapist, don't be hesitant to tell this to me." He leaned forward and cupped her cheeks. "I don't want you suffering in uncertainty."

Amy leaned in too and pecked him on the lips. "And don't be afraid to tell me the body parts you like most about me."

"Amy . . ." he warned with a grin, putting his hands down.

Amy nodded her head like she was welcoming his words. "Say it."

He was wrestling with himself but ultimately lowered his shield "I love your _ass_. And your _thighs_ . . ." His syllables dragged slowly, gawking at her like a predator. "I just appreciate everything about you, Amy." He softened.

Amy shrugged and patted Sheldon on the cheek. "It's not like I don't feel the same way."

Sheldon gazed at the paper. Every number was already checked, putting an end to their quest. Suddenly, a feeling of pride and renewed perspective washed over him as he looked back at the questions they had answered. "Is that all?"

"Seems like it is," she replied, looking at the back of the paper in jest.

Sheldon folded the paper and asked, "Can I add another question?"

"You just did!" Amy laughed, pointing a finger at him.

Sheldon grinned devilishly. Amy wouldn't know what he's up to. She would be shocked, baffled even, with what he had under his sleeve. "Birthday girl, would you like to spend the night with a _Nobel Laureate_?"

Amy expressed her amusement with an _ooh_ , she narrowed her eyes towards Sheldon and muttered, "Oh, _Mister_ , you're in for a treat. I _am_ a Nobel Laureate."


	7. Chapter 7

**Special #1: France**

* * *

_**Lyon, France; December 19** _

"What do you think of those _traboules_?" Sheldon asked, making his way through his lemon cake. Lyon being the gastronomic capital of France, it was safe to assume that they will capitalize on that offer. And the travel from southwest Switzerland, along with the cold, had constantly made them hungry.

Amy wiped the food off her mouth. "They brought a sense of familiarity. Like those secret passageways I read in books," she said, filled with amusement. This trip had been nothing but magical, and they were still in the beginnings of it.

"I felt somewhat claustrophobic," he admitted, scrunching his nose.

His skin crawled as they were passing through the dimly lit passageways. Amy may have felt like she was a detective in the Victorian era, but he was sweating through everything, that he had to hold Amy's hand. The feeling only subsided when they would cross a small plaza in between passageways where he could at least see the outside world.

"I don't think you'd bode well to being a silk merchant," she jest.

"I don't intend to be," he added. "They must be brave doing that kind of stuff."

In passing, Amy reflected on 2 nights before, when they finished all the questions. "So, _do you consider that as your greatest weakness—being claustrophobic_?" she asked mindlessly.

Sheldon leaned into the table with dubious eyes. "Are we revisiting an old friend?" It was only yesterday that they arrived in Lyon from Switzerland, yet it felt like they manage to do a lot of things in between.

Amy made a noncommittal expression. She shrugged and said, "Probably."

Sheldon took that as a hint. The deep lines on his forehead emerged as he thought of an answer. It was hard; he never really thought of that until today.

"Being a sourpuss," he said somberly, staring at the cobblestone pathway outside the cafe.

Amy let out a small chuckle which was probably unwarranted. Her eyes widened in shame.

"Why are you laughing?" A small smile crept upon his face.

The tension from her shoulders subsided and sighed. "You could've used other words."

"But I'm serious," he said amidst his tittering. Then he became determined. "Do you know how many opportunities I've missed, people I never got to interact with, and places I never went to visit because of my unwillingness?"

His words stung both of them, but Sheldon managed to keep collected.

Amy shook her head abashedly, thinking, _I never really knew Sheldon felt this way_.

"Me too. I don't know," he sighed sadly, squared his shoulders and gave a small smile. "But I think that's a silver lining in this. If I considered every opportunity given to me, I would have been drowned in indecisiveness. If I met and befriended every single person that crossed my path, I wouldn't have met a lot of important people in my life. If I went to every city and country like a carefree backpacker, I wouldn't be where I want to be."

With all the scenarios he listed, one thing stuck to her. "Where do you want to be?"

"Pasadena," he whispered morosely. He did want to be in Pasadena, but he'd rather be with Amy than be in Pasadena.

Her chest pounded. While she was enjoying the French city, brimming with culture and good food, she can't fault Sheldon or herself, really, if one of them misses home. "Should we . . ." she dragged, unsure.

"Of course not. This is our vacation," he iterated softly. His features were lit by the sunlight streaming through the cafe window. "Do you even have a weakness?"

"I have. A lot of them, actually," she said rather proudly. One of the things Amy learned was to reframe her thoughts. People always focus on the negative—not that it was bad, neglecting it also is unhealthy—rather than focus on the positive.

Sheldon moved forward and sought her eyes. "But what would be the greatest?"

"Thinking too much," she revealed with a pained smile. This may not appear as the greatest in Sheldon's eyes, but she has been feeling it for the longest time.

"That doesn't sound like a weakness at all," Sheldon said.

Amy knew he would say that. "Some thoughts are unpleasant and they get tangled up in there." She shrugged.

He hummed in understanding and nodded slowly. The heart understands, yet the mind cannot. He may have pondered on this in the future.

* * *

For the remainder of the afternoon, they cycled along the path to their lodging. They stopped by famous landmarks—the Lyon Fresco, fountains, museums that they would be visiting the next day.

Once at the hotel, Amy was first in the bathroom, followed by Sheldon.

As hot water trailed down his spine, Sheldon mused about her answer to the question. _She thinks a lot, how's that a weakness_?

Then he remembered: _Some thoughts are unpleasant and they get tangled up_.

But what are these unpleasant thoughts? He also has unpleasant thoughts—like ' _What if all the production of comic books halts?'_ or ' _What if there are zombies?'_ —but he wouldn't consider those as his weaknesses.

More so, those thoughts would prepare him for the worse. He can otherwise think of a preemptive measure so that he can survive if the time comes.

But the meaning of her answer eluded him. Was that the reason for her therapist? He knew that Amy had been seeing a therapist; does that mean something's amiss with her mind that even her background in neuroscience couldn't solve?

He dressed quickly in his white shirt and pajama pants and exited the bathroom. Amy had been lying on her side, away from the center of the bed. Her side of the bed had been dim, only leaving his nightlight lit.

"Amy," he called softly, not knowing if his wife was awake or not. She stirred and looked him beyond her shoulder.

It would be hard to hear what he wanted to know. "Are there things you haven't told me?"

It took a while before she could muster a word.

She sighed heavily and turned her back against him. "Yes."

Sheldon slipped under the covers and moved so that his body was almost touching her. He always loved this connection between them, though Sheldon doubted it would be welcome tonight.

"But I doubt that you would even understand, Sheldon," she whispered.

Sheldon raised his head and, from the sliver of light peeking through the curtains, he saw the side of her left eye glistening.

He reached over and wrapped his arms around her waist. "You can help me understand it. I care about what you're experiencing. I just don't want to overstep your boundaries and rub salt into the wound." Sheldon nestled his face on her neck, inhaling everything off her. "Tell me, Amy. Tell me what feels comfortable _._ "

It sounded very assertive, now that Sheldon thought of it. It unnerved him deeply. His wording might aggravate Amy's already downcasted feeling, but that's the risk he was willing to take. In their current state, Amy's the only person he can trust, and he hoped she felt the same.

He moved further onto her, his front molding on her back. His caresses softened on her abdomen, telling Amy that he's all ears if she ever wants to say anything.

It relieved him when he felt Amy's fingers lingered in his, her stomach expanding rather shallowly, but it proved to be difficult to gauge what she was feeling.

"Do you know why I decided to change my appearance?" she said in a strained voice which caught on Sheldon quickly. He shook his head gently.

A biting chuckle came out of her. "It's because someone wrote an article about how I look after they've announced that we're winning the Nobel." Her weak gasps were hurting him more than it should.

Sheldon tightened his hold. He was in the dark about all of this. Why now? If it would've been months ago, he would have done something. He's not afraid to draw blood—figuratively, of course; he's not a violent man—if need be. Amy's life, reputation, and career were her everything, and someone had the audacity to tarnish all of it.

"You wouldn't hear that if I were a man," she said snidely.

Sheldon gasped inaudibly. Had he been parading Amy as his wife, and only his wife, in the 2 weeks they stayed in Sweden? He made sure that if people were to ask he would say that they were co-authors before saying that Amy was his wife. Someone had even subtly pitted them against each other being married and have worked together. But Amy handled them gently yet her words were firm.

He burrowed his head further into her neck as his eyes welled. It was unfair. Amy shouldn't be under society's harsh scrutiny. It should be him; he can handle being called upon. No one should ever do that to any woman or man or anyone really. Hearing that made him understand how sick these people were judging her by her looks and her looks alone, overlooking her work.

He heard Amy sighed exhaustedly. When he failed to answer, she whispered breathily, "Did I fail you?"

His eyes widened as his whole body tensed up. His hand on her abdomen coiled into a fist. He would like to ask permission to punch whoever's responsible for hurting Amy. But he felt her soft caresses against his fist, as though she was telling him to calm down just through her touch.

"No, you did not fail me nor anyone, for that matter." Sheldon turned her around and saw how sad her eyes were. _He should have known about this._ "I'm so proud of you, Amy. You are brave, brilliant, and deserve everything nice in the world." He cupped her cheeks lovingly. "Our words are the only ones that matter; not some cheap-ass lifestyle writer who has nothing to prove but how they landed a writing job for a petty tabloid."

Amy frowned. "Don't call them cheap-ass."

"They deserve it if they're writing garbage articles."

Sheldon's heart swelled when Amy pulled them closer, their lips meeting in a soft kiss. He pulled away with a pop. "I love you, Amy." A peck. "Don't believe those pricks." And another one. "You can always tell me what's bothering you."

And they were kissing again. Sheldon couldn't help but notice his cheeks were getting wet too. He withdrew, and Amy was still shedding tears that had touched his cheeks. It wasn't from sadness nor pain, but he can't tell for sure.

He wiped away the tears on her cheeks. " _What is your favorite dessert_?" he said without warning, not knowing if that was the appropriate course of action. Thinking of a question was their routine now, might as well make it work in a time of distress.

Amy chuckled. She sniffed and pushed her body up to reach for a tissue on the bedside table.

She returned and faced him. "Ice cream." He knew but didn't say anything about it.

Sheldon flashed a coy grin that didn't go unnoticed. "Mine's chocolates."

" _Always_ chocolates," Amy muttered deeply. Her lips hovered over his mouth, feeling the warm air being exhaled. She whispered in his mouth, "We should smuggle chocolates to California."

Sheldon let out a snort. Should he establish a chocolate cartel, then? Amy always has these silly but seemingly plausible ideas that always crack him up. He let their lips fall together in a warm and gentle kiss. There wasn't any intention of proceeding forward, but Amy's leg hooked on his thigh and her hands were urging him to be on top.

He did so, hovering over her while their kisses became heated as the seconds passed. A sense of worry washed over Sheldon. They shouldn't be doing this right now, being emotionally vulnerable and all. He doesn't want to establish sex as their coping mechanism whenever someone's in an emotional state.

He drew back his head and gaping at her from the top. " _Ma ch_ é _rie_ ," he whispered but it seemed to arouse Amy more, "not today. I wouldn't take advantage of you." He removed her hold on his neck to show her that he was genuine.

All she did was writhe in pleasure, wrapping her legs on his waist and bucking against his groin. "Please, Sheldon."

Sheldon closed his eyes and breathed harshly. It took a lot of effort not to take her then and there. Being in a place where they had to wear layers upon layers of clothing had made him yearn for her. Even holding Amy's gloved hand with his equally gloved hand hadn't brought much satisfaction.

The heat from her center grazing on his crotch and her kisses flooding his neck surged on Sheldon's extremities.

Through gritted teeth, he said, "We're in a very fragile state, Amy."

Her toying stopped and she sighed in disappointment. "Fine." Her hands pushed against his chest softly as she turned on her side again.

Sheldon fell on his back and for a split second was confused as the day he learned about his genitals. He clutched her again, spooning, and whispered in her ear, " _Tomorrow_."

* * *

_**Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon; December 20** _

There was no tomorrow. Well, there was but Amy was too eager to explore the city than have sex with her husband.

Which was definitely fine for Sheldon. He was eager too since this would be their last day in France before they move on tomorrow to their next destination.

Currently, they were observing a bronze, armless sculpture of Mercury, naked as the day he popped out of Maia. The general display of phalluses in sculptures was very intriguing. Small, flaccid penises were associated with beauty and strength. Also, the sculpture was in _contrapposto_ , which Sheldon always deem as a pose of power and narcissism.

Of course, he wasn't an art critic nor a historian, that was just based on his assumptions. But if that's what ancient people found appealing about themselves then so be it.

Sheldon shot Amy a gaze. She was deep in examining the sculpture, maybe even the significance of the small penis. Was she making a comparison of ancient and contemporary phallic representations?

Instinct almost instructed him to grab his crotch proudly and smirk at the ancient people. But even though people from this side of the pond were showier when it comes to body parts, he went against it for the fear of being a _persona non grata_ in the city of Lyon.

Amy was ready to move to the next display when a question suddenly presented itself to Sheldon.

" _What is your favorite thing about yourself?_ "

When it took a while for Amy to answer, Sheldon worried for the worst. He was just trying to lighten their day because the question about their greatest weakness yesterday may have struck a nerve on Amy.

"That's a hard question," she said as they were walking. "I would have to ask you but you're my husband, and you would be biased."

Sheldon grinned as he reached to hold her bare hand.

"I love that I can understand you," she said nonchalantly. "That may be the most favorite thing about myself. Not everyone can understand Sheldon Cooper. It's a privilege I am carrying." She smiled proudly.

"Why do you always put me in this predicament?" He feigned disappointment. Almost all of Amy's answers to their questions had something to do with him.

"And I know you were going to react that way! I understand you, Sheldon."

"Well, my favorite thing about myself," he paused, thinking hard, "I can recognize my feelings and act upon them."

"True," Amy agreed. She rarely gets a classic Sheldon outburst that, according to his friends, happens almost every other day in the past. There are some here and there but those were anomalies, and they were probably brought when Sheldon's too overwhelmed with a lot of things.

"Although, I'm still learning the ropes of it."

"But I'm still proud that you can do that," she added.

Sheldon blushed and nodded. "Thank you. I can give you and our friends credit for that."

* * *

After visiting 2 more museums that day, Sheldon and Amy's energy hadn't waned at all. Probably because they had eaten a lot of food to sustain their curiosity-addled state.

Amy lay in waiting. She was pretty sure a promise was made yesterday about a certain bedroom activity.

She closed her eyes and feigned sleep. The sheets rustled and a certain weight appeared on her left. She felt Sheldon pull onto her. This trip had made them—Sheldon at least—indulge in holding each other in their sleep. He may have developed a new habit to bring to California.

His warmth against her own drew Amy to taste his lips. It took seconds before she coaxed him to tower over her. She really liked to be staring underneath Sheldon.

Amy felt their lips separated from each other. She would take every opportunity to jump on him but Sheldon had a serious expression plastered on his face. "Do you still have that _thing_ on your arm?"

"What thing?" She raised her arms, grateful that she only brought her short nightgowns. There was nothing in there, and she looked at Sheldon incredulously.

"Nexplanon?" he said.

That gave her a slight jolt. "Oh, right. Yes, it's in here." She flexed her left hand towards her shoulder, revealing the underside of her upper arm. It had been sitting in there for 3 years, and it was the first time in a long time she had realized its existence.

She brought Sheldon's fingers on the site and let him feel it. He sighed in relief.

"Sorry, I really thought you were pregnant because of the shift of emotions yesterday, and we're eating a lot lately," he said lovingly.

Amy understood that; it had been a long time since Sheldon had used a condom, and his worries were warranted. "Well, if I were pregnant, you're the first one to know."

The lines on his forehead deepened. "Shouldn't it be you?"

She grinned coyly. "After me, you're the next one." That sounded like a threat but she hoped Sheldon wasn't bothered.

"Okay." Sheldon gulped thickly and lowered his forehead on Amy's. "Sorry about that."

"I'm not pregnant, _mon cher._ " Her coquettish smile should've hinted to Sheldon about her intentions. "Were you the speaking French last night?" she asked. Even though she knew the answer to that, it's fun to tease Sheldon.

" _Oui, chérie_." Sheldon raised an eyebrow. "Though, you have been our communicator in most of our conversations with the locals," he clarified, unabashed about his limited knowledge of the language.

Amy drew circles on his shoulders. She smirked and pursed her lips. "But someone also made a promise last night."

"I keep my promises, Amy," he said sternly. With one deft move, he lifted his shirt by the hem and flung it elsewhere. She was about to get the most sensual sex in her lifetime.


	8. Chapter 8

**Special #2: Italy**

* * *

**_Como, Italy; December 21_ **

Sheldon and Amy walked hand in hand as they exited the quaint Tempio Voltiano—a museum dedicated to the unrivaled physicist, Alessandro Volta. Sheldon was excited mostly about seeing the first version of an electric battery invented by the scientist. Meanwhile, Amy lingered for the view of the romantic Lake Como wherein the museum sat along its shore. No doubt, she would've married Sheldon in this gorgeous place.

The other night's predicament had opened a lot of opportunities for Amy to share everything she was experiencing. But the thought of telling everything haunted her.

She'd be too tired to talk about herself. Even talking about that single issue she encountered proved to be a difficult task.

She became headstrong. Sheldon will hear everything that has been bothering her. But it'll be dispersed into the remaining days in their vacation. She trusted Sheldon more than anyone. And she knew that by doing that, she and her easily agitated husband wouldn't be overwhelmed by emotions. The only practical thing that she thought of.

Amy squeezed his hand fondly.

They crossed the street to a park lined with food stalls and tents to cater to the hungry visitors. She got a glimpse of the people trailing behind them, but a certain duo had caught her eye. Her sudden determination morphed into dread.

She was sure the 2 have been following them even inside the museum.

Amy racked her head to make sure. As they were looking at relics and reading placards, she would notice a few stares on their way. Amy would look back, and the 2 would just avert their eyes and act as though nothing happened. That occurred a handful of times, and each time she would just ignore them.

But it was clear to her that the action of these people was premeditated. Amy had to inform Sheldon quickly. "Someone's following us," she whispered calmly but tightened her hold on Sheldon's hand.

Sheldon's breathing became shallow and puffs of vapor came out of his mouth violently. "Oh my God, are you sure? Do you have a knife or something?" he rattled, trying his best not to do something rash that might get them in trouble.

"A knife? What do you think of me, an assassin?" she asked incredulously. She couldn't help but panic a little bit because of how Sheldon's acting. And the first thing he thought of was a knife? What fresh hell was happening

Fortunately, they were in an open space, there were people everywhere who could be witnesses. _We should be in public places constantly_.

She peeked again and, sure enough, they were still being followed. "There's 2 of them, Sheldon," she warned. Even though the number was fair, they don't know if those 2 had backups.

"Act cool." He squared his shoulders and a certain spring in his step emerged out of nowhere. "Italians eat more carbs than we do, Amy; they're stronger than us."

Amy ignored his ridiculous antics and kept her mind on the matter at hand. They approached one of the food stalls and ordered lunch. The amount of time they spent ordering had been pleasant if not for the fear that after they got their food, those people would still be following them.

They sat on one of the picnic tables, still acting cool within themselves. Then Amy couldn't take it anymore. Confrontation was not her strong suit, but she can try to be nice and ask them why they were stalking them.

"I'm going to talk to them," she said resolutely, shoving another spoonful of her food.

"Amy," Sheldon called in a panic. Amy didn't look back nor return his call. What the heck is she thinking? Sheldon freaked out. But then he realized that it would be for the best if they get to the bottom of it. In the meantime he clutched his phone, ready to call 112.

He watched with eagle eyes, each passing second was nerve-wracking. His teeth were chattering, along with his fingers numb. Why did he remove his gloves anyway? Oh, right, the second he dials the emergency number with a glove compared to his bare hands would be the deciding factor to Amy's survival.

Why was she smiling genuinely?! Those were strangers, for crying out loud! And now they were chuckling?! The veins on his head were popping out at how he clenched his jaw. This can't be good; Amy was bringing their stalkers towards their table, and Sheldon had no other option but to face the consequences of her action.

He breathed ruggedly when Amy approached with the 2 on her tail.

"Sheldon," she greeted him with a smile. All he did was stare blankly, pale in the face. "This is Stella." She moved to put a hand on the woman's shoulder. "And Leo." She gave the man a nod as she introduced them to Sheldon.

Sheldon just stilled. He didn't know what to do. Amy's introduction and their significance were lost on him. What was he supposed to do with Stella and Leo—if that's really their name?

Amy noticed the utter confusion on her husband's face. She rounded the table and hunched beside his face. "Their graduate students from Milan. They've been following our work in super asymmetry. They even watched the Nobel ceremony.

The blood vessels that had been constricting throughout his body relaxed. He stood up and reached over for a handshake, with a change in demeanor and a small smile on his face.

* * *

Amy and Sheldon watched as their new friends walked towards the direction of their car. Sheldon couldn't believe that they have people noticing them because of their Nobel. We have fans! he thought in amusement, even though Amy wouldn't really consider them their fans.

"How cool was that?" he said excitedly. His glimmer eyes and mouth wide in amusement had made Amy smile wider. Very different from his initial reaction.

"Pretty cool," she replied, nodding her head in acknowledgment.

Sheldon had his palm on his cheeks, mouth ajar. His dazed eyes roamed around the empty seats in front of him. This must have been what Raj and Howard felt when they formed that ridiculous band and met a fan.

Amy couldn't hide the grin that had been plastered on her face, either. They were nice kids. Both in their mid-20s, still a lot of things ahead of them. Stella's studying biostatistics, while Leo had been focusing on genomics. Clearly a couple. Now that she's not deprived from a lack of romantic relationship, she can sense if a duo has been seeing each other or at least have feelings for each other.

She looked back on their conversation. It was brief, only lasting for 20 minutes, but she and Sheldon had very much enjoyed their company. They were so eager to hear their study, spanning from its conception to the moment it was proven. When Amy mentioned that they came up with the idea at their wedding, she was certain that she saw Leo glimpsed at Stella lovingly. Where be it from the romantic nature of her story or probably Leo's intention to marry Stella, Amy didn't know.

Her husband still had that glassy, dazed look in his eyes. Amy leaned nearer and drew her hand on his thigh. "How do you think others perceive you when they meet you for the first time?" she asked.

"They see me as a talkative, no-nonsense robot/messiah from the future that would save them from an alien domination . . . or a possible dolphin takeover," Sheldon said mindlessly. A grin was still on his face as he looked beyond.

"What?" Amy asked incredulously. He's really caught up with his fans, huh?

He shook his head and cleared his throat. "Well, Penny said that once about the alien domination. I thought it would be applicable to a dolphin takeover, too." His then dilated pupils had reverted back to their normal size, as Amy noticed.

"How 'bout what you think?" she urged, squeezing his thigh gently.

"I talk fast," he said, rather proving his point. Sheldon smiled, embarrassed. "Maybe people see that as a sign of agitation or perhaps lack of interest."

Amy cocked her head. "But you also talk clearly for a person who's nervous or uninterested."

Sheldon agreed, "You're right. Maybe their initial thought is that I'm jittery, but then they hear my clear voice and perceive me as someone who's just excited to talk about something I am knowledgeable in."

"Exactly!" Amy celebrated. She was surprised that Sheldon's getting better at examining himself. There's no better way to understand others but understanding yourself. Maybe that's the reason he had been sympathetic with her since they got the Nobel.

"How about you?" Sheldon asked, lifting his leg over the bench to face Amy.

"Maybe people see me as someone who is critical, but when we'd have the conversation, they'll think: 'Wow, she's pleasant to talk to.'."

Sheldon hummed and nodded his head in thought. Amy certainly gave off that vibe whenever they met new people. But Sheldon would like to think that Amy being critical was rooted in her amazing listening skills. Not as sharp as his Vulcan hearing, but Amy listens intently and so far has managed to say the right things every time.

"But what did you think of me when we first met?" Amy asked teasingly. She never really got to hear Sheldon's side of this story.

"Initially, I was nervous, not because of you but because of the dirty sock." He laughed breathily; Amy's grin sustained.

"Then when we met, that's when I realized that the nerves were really coming from facing you."

"Really?" Amy was intrigued by all of these.

His eyes widened when he realized that they never got to talk about their first date. "Who wouldn't be? You said the word 'coitus' at our first meeting. If you only knew what was happening in the back of my mind," he gasped. On that day, he was nervous upon hearing the word. But if it would've been recently, he can't deny being aroused by the word that befell her lips.

She smiled a tight-lipped one, clearly apologetic. "I'm sorry about that."

Sheldon sighed. Maybe Amy thought that she put him under duress the first time they met. But his feelings then were no way near insanity. Did she not hear how much he found her and their conversation as pleasant?

Maybe he shouldn't have used pleasant; he was more than entertained with their conversation. He didn't know he'd still be entertained talking to Amy even though their conversations steer from science.

"What did you think of me?" he asked sheepishly.

"You're tall, rakishly good-looking, and very, very talkative, I might say," Amy teased, nudging him on his arm.

Sheldon furrowed his eyebrows. "You already judged my appearance on our first date?"

"To appease you, I did that to every man I had a date with, so you're no special."

"And what about being talkative?" He rested his elbow on the table and leaned his jaw on his palm.

Amy chuckled. "You were, you still are. You brought the conversation really, and it was the most interesting chat that I had so far."

"I would've guessed otherwise," he said smugly. "But admit it, Penny's the most talkative of the group." **  
**

* * *

**_Lugano, Switzerland; December 23_ **

Walking about Piazza Riforma, clad with their thick coats and ridiculous hats, Amy roamed her eyes around the rows and rows of merchants with their various products.

There were Christmas-themed food—gingerbread, mulled wine, candied fruits, cookies. Some clothing and accessories for the winter. A Nativity scene and a Christmas tree in the middle of the piazza. Christmas lights surrounding every structure. It was a winter wonderland, and Amy never felt the Christmas spirit ever in her life before.

Although there were Christmas knick-knacks everywhere, there were also arts and crafts scattered about—candles, wooden toys, novelty items, patchworks. But one thing caught Amy's eyes: small figurines in abstract human forms.

You'll need a good eye to notice that these figurines are almost sexual in nature. It was unclear at first glance, but it'll tickle you once you realize what they were. There were no faces nor detailed extremities, but one would see the subtle indication of a sexual position.

"Hey," she called and tugged Sheldon's arm. She managed to suppress her giggles and smiled instead.

Sheldon hummed but kept his eyes on the mouth-watering assortments of cookies and pastries. Not even Amy can persuade him in front of sweets.

She drew her lips to his ear and whispered, "What's your favorite position?"

Sheldon leaned his lips down. "Why?" he said mindlessly, the question entered his ear and exited within seconds.

"There are figurines over there that may look like they were Kama Sutra positions," she said clearly. By that point, she had caught Sheldon's attention. Amy pointed at the stall with the rather suggestive figurines.

Sheldon observed the collection of figurines. Does Amy want me to buy some for her? He examined him seriously. She didn't seem very eager to buy it, but the question hanging seemed the thing she was most eager about.

He stared deep into her eyes. "Spooning," he said seriously.

Amy jerked her head in amusement. "Who would've thought you are a spoon guy?" she teased, poking his arm through the thickness of his coat.

He gazed at her incredulously. Of course, he liked spooning. That's the position where their bodies are literally molding each other. It would have been his sensual pick, but he still had another one that was worth mentioning. "And you on top."

He raised his eyebrows in anticipation. A coy smile formed on Amy's lips. She still had her eyes on the Kama Sutra figurines, but Sheldon knew she was finding the positions he mentioned.

Her eyes trailed back to his, only to observe how much they dilated. If this was the way to arouse his wife, he feared that an even simple acknowledgment would have her jumping on his arms.

"Hmm . . . How many times have we tried that?" she asked coyly, now wrapping both her hands on his right arm.

"Cowgirl: 3 times; spooning: 6 times," he answered straightly. Howard called it eye sex, and they were doing it in the middle of a plaza with people walking on both ways. He drew his face near and locked his lips on hers. He pulled quickly before they lose their dignity.

"Yours?" Sheldon stammered, looking back at the cookies to distract himself.

"Missionary." She tugged on his arm again.

Sheldon choked but redeemed himself with a clear of the throat. "Ah, classic," he whispered, reddened in the face.

If the arousal could only die down, it would be really helpful not to have a boner in public.

* * *

It would've been beneficial to bring a lot of books on this vacation. Sheldon never really expected that he'll be away from the comforts of their home until the end of December, and would be deprived of his collection of literature.

Tomorrow, they are on their way to Liechtenstein and Austria, and it had been years since he spoke German. Skimming through a copy of German Made Simple, he found in a family-owned bookshop in Como, his experience in Germany almost 25 years ago surged through.

 _Do they speak the same German?_ he pondered, reading through phrases to familiarize himself. Sheldon sighed after almost 10 minutes of reading. One can so much digest a foreign language. He had been struggling with Italian while in Northern Italy and Southern Switzerland, it should be no surprise if it did the same when they arrived at Liechtenstein.

He closed the manual and glanced worriedly at the bathroom door. The bedside clock told him that she was in there for at least 20 minutes. What had happened that prompted Amy to spend so much time in there?

Oh, exploring the Christmas market must have exhausted her, hence she needed a warm bath to soothe her muscles.

Sheldon decided to slip into the covers without waiting for Amy to return. The heat and weight of the comforter had effectively lulled him to sleep.

Light filtered into the room, and he squinted to find the source. Amy stood by the bathroom door, light streaming in as it delineated her body. Sheldon rubbed his eyes and turned on the night lamp.

What happened next made him question if he was dreaming. He never expected Amy to wear that gift he got her, after days of not having to launder their clothes. Her form was addictive, and Sheldon couldn't help but lick his lips in desire.

His heart pounded upon his chest, his muscles in deep tension, his face surely was flushed. Amy moved subtly as though she was posing for him.

Why did he buy those in the first place? Her bosoms were really highlighted by the black lace by the chest. It was shorter than he expected it, too—about 4 inches from her knees.

Her wavy hair was no help either. Ever since Amy had her hair cut short, the curls were becoming more prominent the shorter she goes. And all of it had an enchanting effect on Sheldon.

He pulled away the thick sheet as a way of inviting her. He pushed his body so his back was against the headboard.

Amy's eyes bulged out at Sheldon's blatant action. But what shocked her most was the faint erection tenting against his pants. If this simple act would've made him so aroused, then Amy should've bought even revealing lingerie than this. But then again, she wouldn't want the itchy, uncomfortable nature of this nightgown. She'd rather wear that knee-length gown she wore when they first made love.

Her feet had a mind of their own, and she was standing beside the bed, her right knee folded against the edge, revealing more skin.

It would be an understatement if Amy didn't say that Sheldon's stare was burning. They penetrated through her, making her feel things she didn't know she would.

He carried his hand and placed it under her rib. It took a lot of effort not to moan at his touch. He started caressing the fabric of the nightgown, passing through her waist, down to her hips, then to the exposed skin of her thigh.

Amy swallowed dryly. This was a different look in Sheldon's eyes. She had cataloged it already, and it didn't appear that she'd seen it before.

There were 2 sides to Sheldon when it comes to sex. The first one—and the most he'd been—is a sweet and sensual Sheldon that rendered her begging for more. Eventually, he would give it but not without Amy putting up a fight. The second one—rarely occurs but enough for her to notice—is an excited, sexed-up Sheldon that seemed too hungry for her. She liked it, especially when she knew it happens when she does something irresistible.

But his face was stern. Filled with lust and nothing else. He wasn't in a rush, by how his fingers softly graze against her skin. This is excited Sheldon, she figured, trembling from arousal.

It felt like she tumbled down when Sheldon pulled her by the waist and she landed on his crotch. She exhaled ruggedly when his member pressed on her core, and his lips didn't hesitate to suck on the delicate skin below her ear.

Her dulcet moans filled the room. Amy tried to find the word to describe their dalliance. It wasn't rough—Sheldon wasn't throwing her around and pulling on her limbs. It wasn't soft either. She felt his right hand grasped his left buttock, and his left hand cupped her breast. With a shallow exhale, she thought of the word: firm.

Sheldon hiked up her nightgown so he could have access to her ass. He groaned against her neck when he felt the thin, barely-there barrier from her nakedness.

A dilemma arose a few months ago when Amy was fitting the gown for their Nobel ceremony: the lines of her underwear were showing off through the gown. Luckily, there was an easy solution to that: thongs. Which she magically wore tonight to match her ensemble.

Panting heavily, his hand moved from his breast down to her center. There was no hesitation; her panties were pushed aside as Sheldon pressed a finger on her clit.

Amy arched her back, her breasts pushing onto his face. The combination of his fingers on her swollen nub, his hand kneading her butt, and his tongue lapping on her cleavage were enough to bring her to the brink of orgasm.

The sensations undulated rather quickly. She didn't have time to think about anything that she would do to reciprocate Sheldon's deed.

"Ahh!" she let out a high-pitched moan, convulsing on top of Sheldon. Spasms flooded through her with an addictive sense. Orgasm always has been her relief.

His mouth's ministrations didn't falter. It blindsided Amy from the fact that Sheldon had already chucked off his pants and underwear. His member was freed and their genitals rubbed against each other.

Amy gasped when she felt the tip of his shaft poking her wetness. She pulled away briefly from Sheldon's kisses. She grabbed it with her hand and positioned it laying against Sheldon's abdomen. She lifted her hips and centered its underside against her wet center.

Sheldon growled as she moved front and back, teasing him. One wrong move and he could be inside of her.

His eyes were fervent, pitch black and brimming with lust. Amy did one cycle of grinding back and forth, the last one she shifted the angle of her hips. With that, she pushed back and felt her warm core sheathed him in one smooth go. She gasped even though it was her intention after all. Doing this position made her so full, and every throb of Sheldon's member were felt against her walls

" _Frak_." She heard Sheldon whisper under his breath. She smiled with her eyes shut.

Maybe that's why Sheldon liked this position. She felt him push into her deeper than it would have been if he were on top.

She continued her rocking motion. She liked it more because the friction made by her clit grazing against his skin was enough to stimulate her

Sheldon pulled down the fabric holding her breasts in place, essentially her mounds spilling for his pleasure. He pulled her closer and his mouth locked on her sensitive nipple. All Amy could do was white-knuckle the headboard as Sheldon played with her breast and pounded into her, his fingers boring into the soft skin of her thigh.

He was coming, and she could feel it. Moans became louder. Breath staggered. Sweat forming on the middle of his chest, penetrating through his white shirt.

Her earlier orgasm made it hard for her to match his so she took care of Sheldon and tried her best to bring him to his orgasm.

He let go of pleasuring her breast and focused on pumping hard to reach his release. It gave Amy much time to nestle her face on his neck. One of the reasons she loves missionary was to have Sheldon's face as close to her as possible. Now that they had it reverse, she couldn't help but grab the opportunity to have him near.

Amy can hear Sheldon's unintelligible words in her ear. His chest expanded too quickly against her. Oh, how she loved this kind of sex—probably one of the firsts they'd have for the years to come.

With much effort, she grasped the hand that had been holding her thigh. She gave it a squeeze, and with that, Sheldon pushed up into her deeply, pulsating inside of her.

She clenched her walls to milk him dry. She never felt Sheldon tremble this violently. Amy had to hold against his arms, and he had to hold her waist so that she wouldn't fall off the bed.

Amy mewled when she felt that Sheldon's orgasm was the beginning of her own. She couldn't know for sure if he'd be hard enough so she could finish her but there's no harm in trying.

"I'm close," she whispered, breathless.

She pushed herself by his chest and started riding him. The ever gentleman, he'd help her carry her body and met all of her actions.

The sounds of their body joining together drowned Amy's ears. She persisted, biting her lower lip and keeping her eyes tightly shut. She bucked and came above him, her cries filling the room as her walls clenched uncontrollably. Sensations flowed through her veins as the orgasm overtook her. It numbed her, sending tingles on her fingers and toes, to her nipples and clit.

Unbeknownst to Amy, Sheldon had a second wave of sensations that flooded over him. He didn't ejaculate this time but the feeling was akin to orgasm, every body part was in deep tension. His hips bucked into her one last time, meeting her thrust.

Oh, Lord! Sheldon thought, very much distraught and disoriented due to their dalliance. Amy orgasmed, he mused after the indication of her thigh squeezing his hips persisted. But he did, too, which was very unusual. Did he ever have 2 orgasms in a row? He didn't think so, this must be an anomaly.

Amy fell on top of his spent body. She was equally limp and sore from riding him to oblivion.

Sheldon cursed the clothes that had stuck to their bodies. The damp fabric was suffocating enough, sticking to his body, add it with Amy laying on top of him. That's why he always insisted on being naked while making love.

With everything he could muster, he grabbed the hem of his white shirt and quickly discarded them. Now he felt liberated and cool. He can feel Amy's breasts grazed against his sweaty chest. He squinted his eyes and saw that her bosoms had been spilling out of her nightgown for quite a long time. That must have been uncomfortable.

He quickly reached for the hem of her nightgown and worked it through her spent body, ultimately freeing them from any barriers.

It suddenly dawned on him the lust and emotions involved in their activity. Sheldon caressed her butt, couldn't help but notice how he was still inside of her and her walls erratically clamping on his shaft.

He felt the presence of another fabric touching against the base of his limp shaft. Through her backside, he reached over where their bodies connected and groaned again after knowing that Amy had been wearing her thongs all this time. He gave another push of his hips to let her know how much he enjoyed that.

"Are you ready to admit how much you love riding me?" he whispered with a shaky breath.

"Later," she replied weakly. Then she raised her head with all her might and added. "We'll have to employ the missionary later. My brain's too muddled to decide, you'll have to give it to me from above."

Sheldon growled and tightened his muscles. He'd like to think he's superhuman. But as much as he'd like to prove the cowgirl's superiority over the missionary, the energy had waned and he'd thought it'll take him hours to regain it all.

"Later," he said with a kiss on her head, still undecided. In reality, he'd rather take the loss just to be able to rest for the entirety of the night.


End file.
